RATINGS RETALIATION?: Standard & Poor's says the U.S. government sued the rating agency as "retaliation" for its downgrade of the country's credit rating.
US GOVERNMENT CLAIMS: The Justice Department filed civil charges against S&P in February, alleging that the agency did not warn investors that the housing market was collapsing
because it would have been bad for its business. The government also says S&P knowingly inflated ratings of risky mortgage securities that helped trigger the financial crisis. It is seeking $5 billion in penalties.
S&P DENIAL: S&P has repeatedly denied the allegations. It said in a court filing Tuesday that its opinions were independent and based on a good-faith assessment of how mortgages performed during a turbulent time in the market.
