Two senior antitrust officials at the DOJ are dismissed

DOJ Fires Two Senior Officials Amid Antitrust Division Disputes

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has dismissed two high-ranking officials due to issues related to antitrust enforcement, as confirmed by a spokesperson on Tuesday.

Deputy Attorney General Roger Alford and Bill Liner, who served as the Deputy Attorney General and Merger Enforcement Director, are no longer in their positions.

CBS News was the first to report this dismissal, which comes at a time of rising internal conflict within the DOJ’s antitrust division.

This division handles some prominent antitrust cases, including ongoing legal actions against Google and Apple.

Reportedly, there are tensions regarding merger policies. Recently, the DOJ has approved several merger proposals, including a $14 billion deal between Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and Juniper Networks, as well as T-Mobile’s $4.4 billion acquisition of UScellular.

However, the agreement concerning HPE and Juniper was only finalized after intervention from Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Chief of Staff, who overruled the head of the antitrust division, Gail Slater.

In January, the DOJ had initially opposed a different $14 billion acquisition shortly after President Trump assumed office, marking a notable point of continuity with the Biden administration’s approach to challenging such mergers.

Throughout Trump’s second term, the administration has appeared quite proactive about tackling antitrust issues. This is evident as the Federal Trade Commission moved forward with a trial against Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in April, despite his attempts to negotiate a settlement.

Recently, several Senate Democrats expressed their concerns regarding the proposed settlement in the HPE-Juniper case. Senators Elizabeth Warren (MA), Amy Klobuchar (MN), Cory Booker (NJ), and Richard Blumenthal (CT) formally asked a judge to conduct evidence hearings to assess if the settlement truly serves the public interest.

They contend that the antitrust issues identified in the DOJ’s original complaint remain unaddressed while highlighting reports suggesting that HPE and Juniper continue to employ lobbyists linked to the White House and the Attorney General’s office.

In their letter, the senators emphasized, “The Department of Justice must act as advocates for the American people. The proposed settlement regarding the HPE acquisition of Juniper should not prioritize the interests of well-connected lobbyists over public welfare.”