Trump pauses law barring firms from bribing foreign officials, viewed as potential relief for Adani

United States President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order directing the justice department to pause prosecutions of Americans accused of bribing foreign officials to secure business deals.

The order halts enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, a 1977 law that bars US companies from bribing foreign government officials. Trump has directed US Attorney General Pam Bondi to review actions related to the Act and draft new enforcement guidelines.

The law made companies that operate in the US less competitive, the White House said.

The decision has been viewed as a potential relief for the Adani Group and its chairperson Gautam Adani. With the pause in prosecutions under the Act, ongoing investigations against them could be delayed or potentially weakened, according to reports.

In November, the United States Attorney’s office for the Eastern District in New York indicted Gautam Adani, who is the chairperson of the conglomerate, in a $265 million bribery and fraud case.

On Monday, six US Congressmen wrote to Bondi against allegedly questionable decisions taken by the US Department of Justice, including the indictment of Adani, under the previous Joe Biden administration.

“Some of these decisions involved selectively pursuing and abandoning cases, often acting against America’s interests at home and abroad, jeopardising relationships with close allies like India,” PTI quoted the lawmakers as having said in the letter.

The US Department of Justice had alleged that…

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