Two senior officials from the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust division have been fired in a high-stakes clash over a controversial \$14 billion merger deal between Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Juniper Networks, according to a source close to the matter. The abrupt dismissals signal deeper fractures within the DOJ — and the broader Trump administration — over the balance between corporate consolidation and competitive fairness.
The ousted officials, Roger Alford and Bill Rinner, were top deputies to Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater, a former aide to Senator J.D. Vance. Their removal follows an unusually rapid and high-level settlement that allowed the merger to proceed, raising eyebrows across Washington and beyond.
Official DOJ channels no longer list Alford and Rinner among its antitrust leadership. Neither has responded to inquiries.
The Justice Department initially sued to block the HPE-Juniper deal, warning it could harm competition in wireless networking markets that serve large enterprise customers. But after Slater’s appointment in March, the DOJ reversed course. A settlement was struck just ahead of trial, requiring HPE to license certain AI technologies and spin off a business unit — terms critics view as thin concessions.
What stirred more controversy wasn’t just the outcome, but who signed it. Rather than the career attorneys who worked the case, the deal was signed off by Slater, Alford, Rinner, and Chad Mizelle — Chief of Staff to Attorney General Pam Bondi — a top-down maneuver that several merger experts call highly irregular.
Behind the scenes, internal tensions boiled over. According to a source, Slater resisted pressure from Mizelle to settle the case. In what appeared to be swift retaliation, Mizelle initiated the firing of her deputies.
Now, lawmakers are entering the fray. Four Democratic senators — led by Elizabeth Warren — have asked a federal judge in California to investigate whether the merger was greased by undisclosed political influence, possibly involving consultants hired to lobby the White House.
Under U.S. law, merging parties must disclose any communications with government employees regarding a settlement. If backchanneling occurred, the senators argue, it may have violated those rules.
“The public should not be left holding the bag for deals driven by political back-scratching,” the senators wrote.
HP Enterprise, meanwhile, maintains that the merger is not only legal but good for business and consumers. “This deal will drive competition,” a company spokesperson said, pointing to the DOJ’s approval as well as green lights from 13 other global regulators.
Whether that holds up in court — or under Congressional scrutiny — remains to be seen. One thing is clear: the DOJ’s antitrust division isn’t just battling corporations. It’s now battling itself.
