LIBOR Case Subpoenas Expand to 16 Banks

Schneiderman can rely on the 1921 Martin Act to allow him to cross state lines in investigations and to bring cases without having to demonstrate an intent to commit fraud on the part of the defendant. The law was used to notable effect by Eliot Spitzer during his prosecutorial days when he took on Wall Street firms.

According to the report, Susan Kinsman, a spokeswoman for the Connecticut attorney general, said in September that the states are coordinating with “a much larger group of attorneys general.” It was also reported that Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi has issued subpoenas to over a dozen financial institutions, including UBS, Deutsche Bank and HSBC Holdings.

This is not the first time that New York has taken point on a financial investigation. In August, as previously reported by AdvisorOne, Benjamin Lawsky, head of the New York State Department of Financial Services, surprised other regulators and investigators by ordering Standard Chartered to appear over money-laundering allegations involving Iranian transactions and explain why its charter to operate in the state should not be revoked. The order quoted an e-mail that implied the bank’s London superior had no regard for U.S. money-laundering regulations.