Justice Department Reviewing SEC Case Against Goldman Sachs

Officials at the U.S. Department of Justice are reviewing whether the Securities and Exchange Commission's recent fraud charges against Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs warrant a full-scale criminal investigation, two government sources told ABC News.

It's unclear what specific deals or which Goldman Sachs employees are part of the Justice Department's review and whether criminal charges will ever be filed. The Wall Street Journal reported today that the federal prosecutors were investigating whether Goldman employees committed securities fraud in connection to the firm's mortgage trading.

Goldman spokesman Michael Duvally declined to confirm the Justice Department's involvement, as first reported by the Journal.

"Given the recent focus on the firm, we are not surprised by the report of an inquiry. We would fully cooperate with any requests for information," he said.

The Journal described the department's review as an investigation that is in a "preliminary stage" based out of the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's Office.

The SEC filed a civil lawsuit against Goldman two weeks ago, alleging that the firm defrauded its investors.