Wall Street Journal-
State attorneys general are stepping up their investigations of mortgage-industry practices by probing for potential misdeeds when banks originated home loans and packaged them into securities, according to people familiar with the examinations.
New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has issued subpoenas to four bond-insurance companies as part of his expanding probe of mortgage-securitization practices, people familiar with the matter said.
At the same time, California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris is expected to announce Monday a new law-enforcement effort aimed at mortgage-industry practices, people familiar with the initiative said. The effort will cover a range of activities, from loan origination to the packaging of mortgages into securities, and will include both civil and criminal prosecutions, these people said.
