Gautam Adani will no longer face criminal prosecution in the United States for his role in an alleged $250 million bribery scheme. According to a Monday federal court filing in Brooklyn, the Justice Department decided not to devote further resources to the charges against the Indian tycoon. This reversal follows a concerted defense campaign led by a personal attorney for the President. While the criminal charges were dropped, the Securities and Exchange Commission secured an $18 million settlement from Adani and his nephew, Sagar Adani, for misleading investors about solar energy contracts in India.

Legal experts note that the settlement allows the Adani Group to avoid admitting to any wrongdoing. Simultaneously, the U.S. Treasury Department settled a civil case against Adani Enterprises for $275 million regarding the purchase of sanctioned Iranian energy. These settlements allow one of Asia’s richest men to resolve his legal woes at a time when the administration is seeking sovereign corporate allies. The decision to abandon the prosecution of a major international figure suggests that the rule of law has become secondary to the requirements of geopolitical patronage.