On February 5, the Attorney General of California, Kamala D. Harris, filed suit in Superior Court in California against Standard & Poor’s and its parent company, the McGraw Hill Company. The Complaint alleges violations of California’s False Claims Act, Unfair Competition Law, and False Advertising Law, and alleges that S&P made knowingly false representations in connection with credit ratings for RMBS and CDOs between 2004 and 2007. The complaint further alleges that California’s public pension funds lost hundreds of millions of dollars in connection with their purchase of RMBS rated by S&P. The state seeks treble damages, civil penalties and a permanent injunction. Complaint.
