Opinion
1:21-cv-1359 (RA)
06-07-2022
U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, Plaintiff, v. MORNINGSTAR CREDIT RATINGS, LLC Defendant.
FINAL JUDGMENT AS TO DEFENDANT MORNINGSTAR CREDIT RATINGS, LLC
Hon. Ronnie Abrams United States District Judge
The Securities and Exchange Commission having filed a Complaint and Defendant Morningstar Credit Ratings, LLC having entered a general appearance; consented to the Court's jurisdiction over Defendant and the subject matter of this action; consented to entry of this Final Judgment without admitting or denying the allegations of the Complaint except as to jurisdiction; waived findings of fact and conclusions of law; and waived any right to appeal from this Final Judgment:
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that Defendant shall pay a civil penalty in the amount of $1,150,000 to the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 21(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Defendant shall make this payment within 30 days after entry of this Final Judgment.
Defendant may transmit payment electronically to the Commission, which will provide detailed ACH transfer/Fedwire instructions upon request. Payment may also be made directly from a bank account via Pay.gov through the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov/about/offices/ofm.htm. Defendant may also pay by certified check, bank cashier's check, or United States postal money order payable to the Securities and Exchange Commission, which shall be delivered or mailed to
Enterprise Services Center
Accounts Receivable Branch
6500 South MacArthur Boulevard
Oklahoma City, OK 73169
and shall be accompanied by a letter identifying the case title, civil action number, and name of this Court; Morningstar Credit Ratings, LLC as a defendant in this action; and specifying that payment is made pursuant to this Final Judgment.
Defendant shall simultaneously transmit photocopies of evidence of payment and case identifying information to the Commission's counsel in this action. By making this payment, Defendant relinquishes all legal and equitable right, title, and interest in such funds and no part of the funds shall be returned to Defendant. The Commission shall send the funds paid pursuant to this Final Judgment to the United States Treasury.
The Commission may enforce the Court's judgment for penalties by the use of all collection procedures authorized by law, including the Federal Debt Collection Procedures Act, 28 U.S.C. § 3001 et seq., and moving for civil contempt for the violation of any Court orders issued in this action. Defendant shall pay post-judgment interest on any amounts due after 30 days of the entry of this Final Judgment pursuant to 28 USC § 1961.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that this Court shall retain jurisdiction of this matter for the purposes of enforcing the terms of this Final Judgment.