Wellington received a request for documents from federal investigators

Wellington Management Co. received a request for documents from federal investigators looking for inside information, according to a person familiar with the matter. Janus Capital Group Inc. also requested information.

Wellington, said in an internal conference call yesterday that the company is conducting a review of records, and did not participate in illegal trade, according to the person, who requested anonymity because the company is headquartered in Boston Private. Janus, based in Denver, said today that it received a request for "general information and intends to cooperate fully with the investigation."

Federal officials, led by U.S. Preet Bharara Attorney in Manhattan are investigating whether money managers may have benefited from inside information, or purchase and sale based on nonpublic information. The offices of hedge fund Level Global Investors LP and Diamondback Capital Management LLC, run by former traders from Steven A. Cohen 's SAC Capital Advisors LP, were searched yesterday by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

"This will go beyond hedge funds," said Stewart Massey, chief investment officer of Massey, Quick & Co. in Morristown, New Jersey, which manages $ 2 billion on behalf of the endowment, foundations and wealthy families. "This will involve traditional money managers, too."

On a call today, Wellington officials revealed the request for documents, without specifying what kind of information researchers are looking for, the source said. Sara Lou Sherman, a spokesman for Wellington, declined comment.

Mutual Funds

Janus, Wellington and mutual funds company MFS Investment Management in Boston were broadband customers Research LLC, a research firm based in Portland, which was visited by FBI agents last month, the Wall Street Journal reported on November 20 .

John Reilly, a spokesman for MFS, declined comment.

Janus maintains strict compliance procedures "and" have confidence in the integrity of its processes and people, "said Shelley Peterson, spokeswoman for the company said in the statement by email.

Wellington, a closely held company that has its roots in an investment firm formed in 1928, is led by CEO Perry Traquina. The company manages about 598 billion U.S. dollars in assets in mutual funds and separate accounts for institutional investors such as endowments and pension funds and mutual funds for investment firms including Vanguard Group Inc.

The 52 billion U.S. dollars of Vanguard Wellington Fund earned an annual average of 5 percent in the last five years, surpassing the 89 percent of rival funds.

Bank testimony

Jessie Erwin, a spokesman for the office Bharara, and Richard Kolko, an FBI spokesman declined comment.

Yesterday's raids follow the testimony of a former investment banker at UBS AG in a criminal trial in September that "submitting confidential information" to a friend who worked as an analyst at SAC.

Fourteen people have pleaded guilty in the case brought by Galleon Group Bharara privileged last year that started on the offensive, and at least nine have been charged. Raj Rajaratnam, Galleon's founder, has denied any wrongdoing and is scheduled to go to trial next year.