S.&P. Says It Expects U.S. Civil Suit Over Mortgage Bond Ratings

BREAKING NEWS Monday, February 4, 2013 2:49 PM EST

S.&P. Says It Expects U.S. Civil Suit Over Mortgage Bond Ratings The Justice Department, along with state prosecutors, plans to file civil charges against Standard & Poor’s Ratings Service, accusing the firm of fraudulently rating mortgage bonds that led to the financial crisis, people briefed on the plan said. Up until last last week, the Justice Department had been in settlement talks with S.&P., these people said. But the negotiations broke down after the Justice Department said it would seek a settlement in excess of “10 figures,” or at least $1 billion, these people said, which would wipe out the profits of S.&P.’s parent company, McGraw-Hill Company, for an entire year. READ MORE » http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/02/04/u-s-and-states-prepare-to-sue-s-p-over-mortgage-ratings/?emc=na