The government’s top credit-rating watchdog has kept a low profile since taking the job two years ago to help prevent another financial crisis. That may be about to change. Thomas J. Butler, head of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of Credit Ratings, said he has referred multiple cases to the agency’s enforcement division and is helping complete several industry regulations to address quality and transparency in how big debt deals are rated. Those moves signal a potential flurry of regulatory activity involving ratings firms, which have been largely untouched as government oversight has increased in most other financial sectors in recent years. More in theWall Street Journal here.
