The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has fired two senior antitrust attorneys, Roger Alford and Bill Rinner, over disagreements with how to handle a merger between Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and Juniper Networks. The firings come after weeks of tension between the officials and Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater, who heads the antitrust division.
The dispute centered on HPE’s proposed $14 billion merger with Juniper, which could combine two major competitors in the wireless networking market. The DOJ initially sued to block the deal, citing concerns that it would reduce competition and weaken innovation.
Alford and Rinner were put on administrative leave last week due to internal turmoil over how to handle the lawsuit. The DOJ is now in discussions to settle its challenge. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche appeared to reference disagreements within the division in a social media post, pledging his support for Slater.
The firings are part of a broader battle between career officials and political appointees at the DOJ. Hundreds of career employees have left the department, with some publicly criticizing the leadership. The exact reason for Alford’s and Rinner’s dismissal is cited as “insubordination.”
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/29/politics/justice-department-fires-two-senior-antitrust-attorneys