Dorfman Probe May Be Widening

Stock reporter Dan Dorfman gave his market commentary on CNBC as usual on Friday and then brushed off a question about a report that federal officials had widened a criminal probe of him.

The Wall Street Journal, in a front-page article, had said the federal investigation of Dorfman has gone beyond his dealings with a specific stock promoter to include whether he personally profited from his reports by trading on them or tipping others in exchange for favors.

This week, it reported, the U.S. attorney’s office in Brooklyn issued subpoenas to at least two of Dorfman’s former employers seeking information about his work history. The employers were not identified.

The U.S. attorney’s office would not confirm or deny the reports of an investigation.

The Journal also charged that Dorfman maintains a brokerage account, inactive for several years, that once was managed by one of his frequent sources. The broker has since left the business after being acquitted of fraud charges, it said.