WASHINGTON (

TheStreet

) -- The

Securities and Exchange Commission

has asked Standard & Poor's to disclose who at the ratings agency knew of its decision to

downgrade U.S. debt

before it was announced last Friday,

The Financial Times

reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

The SEC's action is part of a preliminary look into potential insider trading, the newspaper said.

The inquiry was made by the SEC's examination staff, which has oversight of credit rating firms, one person familiar with the matter told the

FT

.

The person said the SEC was looking at who had the information as a starting point. The agency isn't aware of a leak from an S&P insider, nor was it aware of an aberrational trade, the newspaper said.

The

Senate Banking Committee

has begun investigating Standard & Poor's downgrade of the credit rating of the United States to AA+ from AAA.

-- Written by Joseph Woelfel

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Joseph Woelfel

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