FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, October 16, 2025
Contact: nahmed@ncdoj.gov
919-538-2809
RALEIGH – Attorney General Jeff Jackson intervened in a court’s review of the $14 billion merger settlement between Hewlett Packard Enterprises and Juniper Networks. There are major concerns that U.S. Department of Justice officials approved the deal after powerful corporate lobbyists applied pressure, even though the U.S. Department of Justice itself said that the merger could raise network infrastructure costs for businesses by up to 14 percent.
“Government officials are supposed to fight for Americans, not put the interests of corporate lobbyists ahead of consumers,” said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “If, as public reports suggest, the federal government has failed in its duty to protect competition and prevent monopolies, then the court should let the states step in to protect consumers.”
Under federal law, the Justice Department should approve antitrust settlements based on the merits of the deal and the public interest, not influence and lobbying by powerful corporations. The Justice Department initially tried to block this merger alleging that it was bad for consumers. But later, the department agreed to a settlement allowing the deal, reportedly after lobbyists pressured USDOJ senior officials. Last month, Attorney General Jackson sent a letter to the Justice Department questioning the settlement after public reporting that corporate lobbying pressured the Justice Department to approve a settlement against the career staff’s recommendations.
Attorney General Jackson and 12 other attorneys general are asking the court to order a hearing to ensure that the proposed settlement is in the public interest and not the result of undue influence by powerful corporations and their well-connected lobbyists. By allowing the attorneys general to intervene, the court will be able to hear from enforcers with a strong interest in ensuring mergers protect consumers.
Attorney General Jackson joins the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin in filing this motion.
A copy of the motion is available here.
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