Six US Congressmen write to new Attorney General against Adani's indictment

Washington: As many as six US Congressmen have written to the newly appointed Attorney General of the United States against "questionable" decisions made by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) such as the indictment against the Adani Group in an alleged bribery scam, which "jeopardises the relationship with close ally India".

Lance Gooden, Pat Fallon, Mike Haridopolos, Brandon Gill, William R Timmmons and Brian Babin on February 10 wrote to Pamela Bondi, Attorney General of the US drawing "attention to some questionable decisions made by the DOJ under the Biden administration".

The billionaire industrialist has been charged by US prosecutors for allegedly being part of a scheme to pay over $250 million (about Rs 2,100 crore) bribe to Indian officials in exchange of favourable terms for solar power contracts.

This was concealed from the US banks and investors from whom the Adani group raised billions of dollars for the project, the prosecutors have alleged.

US law allows pursuing foreign corruption allegations if they involve certain links to American investors or markets.

The Adani group, however, has denied the charges.

"Some of these decisions involved selectively pursuing and abandoning cases, often acting against America's interests at home and abroad, jeopardizing relationships with close allies like India," the Congressmen said in the joint letter.

India, they said, has been an important ally of the United States for decades. This relationship has flourished beyond politics, trade, and economics by evolving into a continuous socio-cultural exchange between the world's two largest democracies.

"This historical partnership and continuous dialogue between friends, however, was put at risk due to some unwise decisions by the Biden administration," they said.

"One such decision involves a questionable pursuit of a case against the Adani group, an Indian company whose executives are situated in India. This case rests on the allegation that preparations were made by members of this company in India to bribe Indian officials, also exclusively located in India."

"Instead of deferring the case to the appropriate Indian authorities, the Biden DOJ decided to push forward and indict the company's executives without any real injury to US interests being present," they wrote.

The Congressmen said there was no compelling reason to pursue a case in a manner that could complicate relations with an ally like India unless some external factors were at play.

"This misguided crusade came at the risk of harming our relationship with a strategic geopolitical partner like India immediately preceding President Trump's return to the Oval Office."

"Considering President Trump's commitment to revive America's economic prosperity, our economic relationship with valuable partners from India and abroad works as an important factor in achieving that goal," they said.

The letter went on to state that needless pursuits against those who have contributed tens of billions and created thousands of jobs deter and discourage investors from contributing to the US economy.

"Considering these factors and the lack of any real injury to US interests, the decision to pursue this indictment demonstrates more harm for America's interests than good, if any," it said.

America and India share a sense of mutual respect and appreciation, a sentiment emulated by President Trump and Prime Minister Modi. President Trump has always recognized the true potential of a strong and beneficial relationship between two economic and military superpowers like the US and India.

He has diligently worked with the Modi government to forge a strong relationship between our two great nations. Prime Minister Modi has reciprocated these efforts by proving India to be a valuable ally of America in the Asia-Pacific region, especially against the growing threat from China, according to the letter.

"Conversely, politically motivated decisions by agencies steered by left-wing megadonors could quickly erode years of hard work and diplomacy forged by our leaders."

"A fallout in relations not only harms our longstanding partnership with a key ally but greatly benefits adversaries like China in their goal to eliminate the American economy and achieve total global economic control through their Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)," it said.

This selective pursuit by the Biden DOJ, despite knowing the possible outcomes of such a reckless decision, requires a second look, they wrote adding knowing the real considerations guiding this decision will also be a major step in uncovering whether the previous administration was compromised to outside entities over the past four years.

"We request you investigate the Biden DOJ's conduct and would appreciate you sharing with us all records pertaining to this case, for a coordinated effort in uncovering the truth," they added.