Senators Call for Investigation of Political Influence at DOJ Following HPE-Juniper Settlement
On Monday, two senior antitrust attorneys tasked with evaluating how corporate monopolies impact the public were fired reportedly after opposing the merger settlement
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) wrote Department of Justice (DOJ) Acting Inspector General William Blier calling for an investigation of the DOJ’s proposed settlement of its lawsuit challenging Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co.’s (HPE) acquisition of Juniper Networks, Inc. (Juniper).
The senators wrote: “The DOJ’s choice to settle this lawsuit, reportedly over the objections of the Antitrust Division and despite the fact that the settlement does not appear to address the competition concerns presented by the DOJ’s own complaint, raises significant concerns that the deal was motivated by improper business and political considerations.” Earlier this week, two of the Antitrust Division’s highest ranking officials, both of whom reportedly opposed the settlement, were fired.
The senators also wrote HPE seeking information about the company’s hiring of political consultants with close ties to the Trump Administration, allegedly to obtain a favorable settlement prior to trial. While one of these lobbyists was publicly disclosed in accordance with federal law, that disclosure was incomplete.
“HPE’s hiring of these consultants close to the Trump family and White House creates the appearance that it sought to use outside political pressure and retaliation against the Antitrust Division to end its lawsuit and reporting suggests that the full scope of HPE’s consultants or influence campaign has not been disclosed,” the senators wrote.
The full text of the senators’ letters to the DOJ Office of the Inspector General is available here and the full text of the senators’ letter to HPE is available here.
On Monday, Warren led a letter with Klobuchar, Booker and Blumenthal to Judge P. Casey Pitts of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, urging the court to use its power under the Tunney Act to determine whether DOJ approved HPE’s $14 billion acquisition of Juniper based on political favors. The full text of the letter is available here.
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