Overview

• In a speech Monday, Roger Alford alleged the Justice Department resolved the HPE–Juniper matter based on political connections rather than legal merits.
• He named chief of staff Chad Mizelle and associate attorney general nominee Stanley Woodward, accusing them of perverting justice in the case.
• Alford, dismissed last month alongside merger chief Bill Rinner for insubordination, said he hopes the court blocks the $14 billion acquisition.
• The department shifted from a January lawsuit to a June settlement requiring HPE to divest its small‑ and medium‑business division and license Juniper software, with CBS reporting Mizelle overruled Antitrust Division head Gail Slater.
• Reporting indicates HPE hired Trump‑aligned consultants to help secure the deal, Senate Democrats are pressing for a DOJ inspector general investigation, and HPE maintains the remedies protect competition.