S&P Discloses Talks With Justice Department in Credit-Rating Probe

Rating agency Standard & Poor's said the civil division of the U.S. Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission are probing potential violations related to its ratings of structured products.

S&P said in a securities filing on Thursday that it has been in talks with the government about why it believes charges should not be brought against the company or its employees.

S&P has previously disclosed the SEC probe, but has not explicitly acknowledged interest from the Justice Department.