Attorney General Dan Rayfield and a coalition of state attorneys general are asking a federal court to take a closer look at a $14 billion merger between Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and Juniper Networks — a deal the states say may have been pushed through under the influence of powerful lobbyists rather than sound competition policy.
The attorneys general are asking the court to hold a public hearing to get all the facts on the table before allowing the merger to stand. They argue that both the process and the outcome raise red flags that could hurt consumers, small businesses, and fair competition in the tech industry.
“When huge corporations cut deals that reshape entire industries, the public deserves to know those decisions were made on the merits — not behind closed doors,” said Attorney General Rayfield. “We’re stepping in to make sure this process is fair and that working people and small businesses aren’t the ones left holding the bag.”
If allowed to go forward without proper scrutiny, the merger could give one company outsized control over key networking and cloud technology markets — potentially driving up prices, limiting consumer choice, and stifling innovation.
The states are asking the court to use its authority under a federal law known as the Tunney Act — a post-Watergate safeguard that ensures government settlements are based on the public interest, not political pressure or insider lobbying.
This follows a letter Attorney General Rayfield and other attorneys general sent to the U.S. Department of Justice last month, questioning how the deal was approved after reports surfaced that lobbyists with political ties may have influenced the outcome. The states say the settlement falls short of addressing the competitive harm the federal government itself identified when it originally sought to block the merger.
Joining Attorney General Rayfield in today’s filing are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, New York, Washington, and Wisconsin.
