A group of U.S. states, led by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, may seek to block Hewlett-Packard Enterprise’s $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks. They want to probe suspicious circumstances around the proposed settlement by the U.S. Department of Justice, fearing political influence. If allowed to intervene, they could pause business integration.

The U.S. District Judge in San Jose, California is considering whether to allow the states to intervene in the case, potentially halting the integration of Hewlett-Packard Enterprise and Juniper Networks. This move comes after the Department of Justice dropped its claims against the deal, citing concerns over competition in the networking equipment market.

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, along with other Democratic attorneys general, are pushing for transparency in the Hewlett-Packard Enterprise acquisition of Juniper Networks. They are concerned about the influence of politically connected lobbyists in the settlement process. Weiser, a former DOJ antitrust attorney, is running for governor of Colorado in 2026.

The Department of Justice initially sued to block the acquisition of Juniper Networks by Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, citing concerns over competition in the networking equipment market. However, they dropped their claims in June in exchange for HPE agreeing to license some of Juniper’s AI technology to competitors and sell off a unit catering to small and mid-sized businesses.

Read more at Yahoo Finance: HPE’s $14 billion Juniper acquisition could face state challenge