According to several sources familiar with the matter, a federal prosecutor who stepped away from the criminal case against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani has been dismissed following the Justice Department’s decision to drop the charges. Andrew Tyler, an acting assistant chief in the Criminal Division’s fraud section, was let go on Tuesday due to alleged ethical violations, though specific details were not provided by two of the sources. Tyler, a career Justice Department veteran whose past work includes serving as a trial attorney and clerk, could not be reached immediately for comment, though a former colleague praised his dedication. NBC News was the first to report his termination. Gautam Adani and other executives at his renewable energy firm were originally indicted late in the Biden administration over accusations that they paid bribes to Indian government officials to secure lucrative solar energy contracts in a broad foreign bribery and securities fraud scheme. In May, acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter directed that the case be dismissed after meetings between department officials and Adani’s defense attorneys from Sullivan & Cromwell, including Bob Giuffra. During a Justice Department meeting, Giuffra presented arguments contesting the bribery evidence, with slides asserting that an Adani company helps power India’s progress and that the Trump administration would not have initiated the prosecution. Sources also reported that Giuffra stated Adani would invest $10 billion in the United States economy if the charges were dropped. The dismissal motion was signed exclusively by politically appointed officials rather than the career prosecutors assigned to the matter. Shortly after, Tyler and co-counsel Shy Jackson filed to withdraw from the case, a move interpreted as silent protest. U.S. District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis of the Eastern District of New York initially declined to dismiss the case, stating the Justice Department failed to supply a sufficient factual basis and requesting a sworn statement from Adani regarding any quid pro quo, which Adani denied. While Judge Garaufis ultimately agreed to drop the charges against Adani and select co-defendants last month, he refused to dismiss charges for remaining defendants, citing a lack of new reasons or supporting facts from the department. The judge additionally criticized McCotter for improperly interfering and replacing the professional judgment of numerous federal officials with his own. Tyler marks the second federal prosecutor dismissed this month following friction with senior officials over a major case. Earlier in September, Minnesota prosecutor Matthew Evans was fired amid an investigation into Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Christian Castro regarding the shooting of a Venezuelan immigrant. That firing followed a ProPublica report that Evans advised victims’ attorneys to prepare for lesser charges against Castro. Sources indicated Evans is currently under investigation.
Source: cbsnews.com
