New York seeks info from banks in Treasury auction probe-source

Sept 9 (Reuters) - A New York state regulator has sought information from Barclays Plc (LSE: BARC.L - news) , Deutsche Bank (Other OTC: DBAGF - news) , Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS-PB - news) and Societe Generale (Swiss: 519928.SW - news) on potential manipulation of U.S (Other OTC: UBGXF - news) . Treasury auctions, said a person familiar with the matter.

The Department of Financial Services sent letters to the banks in early August, seeking information on their operations related to Treasury auctions, the person said.

The letters do not necessarily indicate wrongdoing by the banks, said the person.

The Financial Times, citing sources, reported that the letters contained general questions and that the probe was in early stages with no focus on any particular bank. (http://on.ft.com/1JSDKww)

U.S. Department of Justice spokesman Peter Carr declined to comment. Representatives of Societe Generale, Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs also declined to comment.

Barclays did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

All the banks are primary dealers in the $12.5 trillion Treasury market, authorized to transact directly with the Federal Reserve. (Reporting by Karen Freifeld in New York and Rachel Chitra in Bengaluru; Editing by Kirti Pandey)