Ed Sweeney, a spokesman for S&P, said in an e-mail response to the daily that: "S&P has received several requests from different government agencies over the last few years.
We continue to cooperate with these requests. We do not prevent such agencies from speaking with current or former employees."
"A successful case or settlement against a giant like S&P could accelerate the shift away from the traditional ratings system," the NYT said.
Meanwhile, the US Securities and Exchange Commission has also been investigating possible wrongdoing at S&P and may be looking at the other two major agencies, Moody's and Fitch Ratings, the NYT said, citing a person familiar with the matter.
Click on NEXT for more...
US probing S&P's rating of mortgages: Report
Despite the public scrutiny and outcry over the ratings agencies' failures leading up the financial crisis, many investors still rely heavily on ratings from the three main agencies for their purchases of sovereign and corporate debt, as well as other complex financial products.
Companies and some countries -- but not the United States -- pay the agencies to receive a rating, the financial market's version of a seal of approval.
For decades, the government issued rules that banks, mutual funds and others could rely on a AAA stamp for investing decisions, which bolstered the agencies' power.
article