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By Bloomberg

Two Democratic lawmakers wrote to the Federal Reserve asking for a report on the status of an internal probe into a 2012 leak of confidential market-sensitive information.

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, are seeking information on a leak of details from the minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee, a Fed body.

The letter, addressed to Fed General Counsel Scott Alvarez and dated Thursday, was posted on Warren’s website. David Skidmore, a spokesman for the Fed, said the central bank has received it and “will be responding.”

The letter is the latest push by lawmakers for more transparency from the Fed. Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, a potential Republican presidential contender, last month reintroduced legislation proposing to audit the central bank’s monetary policy, prompting concern at the Fed that its independence is at risk.

The Democratic lawmakers requested a staff briefing on questions of how the Fed’s internal probe was conducted and what steps the central bank has taken to prevent further leaks.

Medley Global Advisors, which is owned by the FT Group, a division of Pearson Plc, issued a client report on Open Market Committee deliberations on Oct. 3, 2012, one day before the Fed released minutes of its September meeting.

The Medley report said “minutes of September’s meeting will show, however, that the groundwork for further action in coming months has been laid, and that labor-market improvement is unlikely to be substantial enough to stave off new Treasury purchases into 2013.”

Then-Chairman Ben S. Bernanke asked Alvarez and William English, the secretary of the committee at the time, to investigate possible leaks.

Compliance Action

Hess Hires Lobbyists to Boost Case on Oil Exports, Regulations

Hess Corp. hired the consulting firm Forbes Tate LLC to lobby on issues including crude-oil exports, methane and ozone regulations, hydraulic fracturing and Russia sanctions, according to a filing with the U.S. Senate.

The lobbying registration became effective Jan. 1 and was posted in the Senate lobbying disclosure database Feb. 3, according to the filing.

The disclosure was made under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995.

Hess is member of Producers for American Crude Oil Exports coalition, which seeks to end 40-year-old U.S. crude export restrictions.

U.S. Risk Panel Votes to Boost Transparency of Systemic Reviews

A panel of U.S. regulators voted to tell companies sooner that it’s considering whether the firms should be deemed a potential risk to the financial system.

The Financial Stability Oversight Council, led by Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew, voted 10-0 on a Feb. 4 conference call in Washington to notify companies earlier than it does now when discussing whether to designate them systemically important, the Treasury Department said in a statement. Such firms are subject to Federal Reserve oversight, which can include tougher capital, leverage and liquidity requirements.

The vote followed criticism from finance industry groups and lawmakers of both major political parties that the council is too secretive. Companies will now be told when they are being analyzed in the second stage of review, possibly months quicker than they have been, in the third and final stage.

Interviews/Commentary

Connecticut AG ‘Wants Answers’ From Anthem on Hacking

Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen talked about the theft of data concerning tens of millions of customers and employees from health insurer Anthem Inc. in a hacking attack.

Jepsen spoke with Cory Johnson on Bloomberg Television’s “Bloomberg West.”