President Donald Trump’s second term has been all over the place. We’re only eight months in, yet it feels like it’s been years. Trump has fielded allegations left and right over his conduct as president, and many critics have proclaimed that he’s corrupt.
Now, thanks to the Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) merger with Juniper Networks, we might actually be looking at an incredible corruption case within the Trump administration. At the helm of this particular controversy is none other than Attorney General Pam Bondi, of course — as if Bondi doesn’t have enough controversy with her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case.
Earlier this year, the Justice Department declared that the merger was illegal because of antitrust issues. According to the DOJ, if the merger went through, it would stifle competition in the tech world. After Trump entered office in January, the DOJ officially sued to block this merger from happening.
Yet in July, the DOJ suddenly settled with HPE and allowed the $14 billion merger to go through. The reasons this settlement happened hint at major corruption.
The HPE Merger Reeks of Corruption
The allowance of this merger is, at the very least, controversial for the Trump administration. Reports have already circulated that senior antitrust lawyers within the DOJ opposed this allowance. Now, firings and resignations have rocked the department. Two political appointees were fired because of disagreements over the deal. Meanwhile, another two career lawyers resigned.
Furthermore, the settlement wasn’t even signed by Gail Slater, the DOJ’s antitrust chief of staff and a Trump disciple. No DOJ antitrust lawyer signed the settlement, either. Instead, it was signed by Bondi’s senior aides.
The corruption of it all comes to play when one looks at who in Trump’s world was associated with the merger. Recently, court filings revealed that Mike Davis, a MAGA lawyer who has worked with Trump, and Will Levi, who served in Trump’s first administration, were retained by HPE and Juniper.
Quickly after the companies hired Trump people, the merger was approved. Critics, both liberal and far-right, have already claimed that this merger was allowed because of illegal lobbying and backroom negotiations.
Another Blow to MAGA’s Agenda
Democrats aren’t the only ones calling out the Trump administration for this merger. Huge MAGA advocates, such as the controversial Laura Loomer, aren’t happy about it, either. Many MAGA supporters believe that Trump will “drain the swamp.” However, the Trump administration’s siding with the tech industry time and time again has worried these supporters.
This comes at a time when some MAGA members are becoming more vocally against the president and his administration. On the heels of the disastrous Epstein scandal, now MAGA is upset over this HPE merger.
This merger could bring about a court case, thanks to the Nixon-era Tunney Act. A judge can examine the settlement to ensure that it benefits the public — and hold a mini trial, calling on witnesses under oath, to better understand why this merger was approved in the first place. If this happens, we’ll be able to see once and for all just how corrupt the Trump administration is.