Yellen says she met with analyst named in rate leak probe but meeting was earlier and general

Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen is disclosing that she met with a financial analyst at the center of an investigation into a possible leak of confidential interest-rate information. But she says the meeting occurred several months before the private Fed discussions at issue took place, and dealt with general economic matters.

The information came in a letter Monday from Yellen to senior House Republicans who are investigating whether market-sensitive information was deliberately leaked from the Fed's interest-rate policy meeting in September 2012.

The lawmakers had requested the names of Fed officials and staff who had contact with the analyst's firm, Medley Global Advisors, from June through October 2012. Yellen said several names were provided confidentially to the staff of House Financial Services Committee, and that hers is on the list.