PricewaterhouseCoopers agreed to pay $65 million in cash to settle a lawsuit claiming it fraudulently deceived MF Global Holdings Ltd. investors about its auditing of the now-defunct brokerage, which was run by former New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine, Reuters reported on Friday. The preliminary settlement with investors in MF Global's common stock, bonds and convertible debt was disclosed in papers filed on Friday with the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, and requires court approval. It resolves class action claims that PwC in 2010 and 2011 falsely certified that it had properly audited MF Global's financials and internal controls, and knew about or recklessly disregarded problems that contributed to the brokerage's Oct. 31, 2011, bankruptcy. PwC denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle. The lead plaintiffs are the Virginia Retirement System and the Province of Alberta, Canada.
