Gautam Adani ‘Bribery’ Case: US Judge Slams DOJ, Refuses To Drop Charges Against Co-Accused
US District Judge Nicholas Garaufis has denied the Justice Department's request to drop criminal charges against Gautam Adani's co-defendants in the multi-billion-dollar bribery case, slamming DOJ official Trent McCotter for offering 'unsubstantiated, self-serving pronouncements' without factual support, even as he left room for the department to make its case again later.
In a fresh setback for the Justice Department, a US federal judge has denied prosecutors' request to drop criminal charges linked to an alleged multi-billion-dollar bribery scheme involving Indian billionaire Gautam Adani and his co-defendants. US District Judge Nicholas Garaufis ruled that the charges against the co-accused cannot be dismissed until the Department of Justice (DOJ) follows his instructions, delivering a sharp rebuke to how a senior DOJ official has handled the case.
In his 14-page decision, Judge Garaufis accused Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter of offering what he called 'unsubstantiated, self-serving pronouncements' while refusing to comply with procedural requirements, reports said. The judge noted a series of court filings in which he repeatedly asked McCotter to submit factual support for the department's move to drop two counts, only for McCotter to respond without doing so. 'Deep Respect for the Judicial Process': Gautam Adani Responds After US Court Drops Criminal Charges.
Door Left Open For Future Dismissal
Despite the rebuke, Judge Garaufis did not shut the door entirely. He wrote that the court continues to encourage the department to submit sufficient factual support for its reasons behind seeking dismissal.
A DOJ spokesperson responded by saying the department disagrees with the ruling and will be seeking appellate review. Gautam Adani Agrees To Pay USD 6 Million To Settle US SEC Fraud Case, Rahul Gandhi Targets PM Narendra Modi Over ‘Adani Release Deal'.
Background Of The Adani Bribery Case
Last month, the same judge had allowed the DOJ to drop three counts against Adani himself in the alleged bribery case, even as he criticized McCotter's conduct as 'highly unusual' and 'unbecoming of his office'. However, Garaufis declined to dismiss the remaining two counts against Adani's co-defendants at the time too, citing insufficient rationale from the Justice Department.
US prosecutors and regulators had alleged in late 2024 that Adani and several of his associates orchestrated a scheme worth several billion dollars in INR terms to obtain funds from American investors and global financial institutions based on false and misleading statements.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 07, 2026 03:22 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
