http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=amvJPx_1cPwo&pos=1By Jesse Westbrook
April 19 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission split 3-2 along party lines to approve an enforcement case against Goldman Sachs Group Inc., according to two people with knowledge of the vote.
SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro sided with Democrats Luis Aguilar and Elisse Walter to approve the case, said the people, who declined to be identified because the vote wasn’t public. Republican commissioners Kathleen Casey and Troy Paredes voted against suing, the person said.
The SEC on April 16 accused Goldman Sachs, the most profitable company in Wall Street history, of creating and selling collateralized debt obligations in 2007 tied to subprime mortgages without disclosing that hedge fund Paulson & Co. helped pick the underlying securities. Goldman Sachs also didn’t disclose to investors that Paulson was betting against the securities, the SEC said.
SEC spokesmen John Nester and Myron Marlin didn’t immediately return a phone call and e-mail seeking comment.