Democratic senators Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal have again demanded answers from Attorney General Todd Blanche over the Department of Justice's (DoJ) decision to abandon a fraud and bribery case against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, following his promise to invest $10bn in the US.
In a letter sent on Wednesday and seen by the Guardian, the senators raised concerns about the DoJ's judgment under President Donald Trump and asked whether people close to him were involved in the decision to drop the case.
Background of the case
Adani was indicted in 2024 in New York for allegedly participating in a bribery and fraud scheme in which he paid Indian officials to secure a contract for one of his companies. He denied the allegations.
In August, a federal judge in New York agreed to drop the fraud case at the request of prosecutors, despite having concerns about "irregularities" in the "highly unusual" decision. It has become the latest example of judges raising eyebrows at Trump administration prosecutors for pushing to dismiss criminal cases.
New details and concerns
Prosecutors moved to dismiss the case in May after Adani hired a new legal team, led by Robert Giuffra Jr, and offered to invest $10bn into the US. A New York Times report revealed that Adani, represented by one of Trump's personal lawyers, admitted to offering the investment to resolve the criminal case. The federal judge overseeing the case determined the investment played no role in the DoJ's decision to abandon it.
Following the news, Warren and Blumenthal sent a letter to Blanche in June requesting information about the fraud case and raising concerns about whether the justice department dismissed the case in exchange for Adani's investment. However, the senators did not receive a response.
Since then, new details have emerged, including allegations that Boris Epshteyn, a member of Trump's personal legal team who also served as an informal adviser, helped Adani. Another report claimed Donald Trump Jr, the president's son, met with Adani in November 2025, before the case was dropped. A spokesperson for Trump Jr said earlier this year that the conversation "had zero to do with DoJ's actions in this case".
A spokesperson for Epshteyn denied being involved in Adani's "arguments, advocacy or efforts" to the Wall Street Journal in June. Epshteyn was never hired by Adani or his company, the Adani Group, nor did he maintain a relationship with Adani, the spokesperson added. The Guardian has asked Epshteyn for comment.
Request for information
The Democratic lawmakers are now asking the DoJ for more information about Adani's alleged investment offer, including a list of employees present when the offer was made, the terms of the offer, when it was made and where. They also want to know whether DoJ employees knew Epshteyn was allegedly working on behalf of Adani, or if Epshteyn had any contact with DoJ employees regarding Adani.
"We are also concerned about the involvement of two of President Trump's personal lawyers in this case, and the extent to which they reveal potential political influence and special treatment for well-connected insiders at the DoJ," Warren and Blumenthal wrote in their letter.
The Democrats also want to know if Trump Jr, or any person working on his behalf, had contact with a DoJ employee regarding Adani. Warren and Blumenthal requested responses no later than 5 October. The Guardian has asked Blanche's office for comment.
