Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. Goldman Executives Face Tough Questions on Capitol Hill VOA News 27 April 2010 Protesters hold up a photo of Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein during Senate Investigations subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill, Washington, 27 Apr 2010 Photo: AP Protesters hold up a photo of Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein during Senate Investigations subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill, Washington, 27 Apr 2010 U.S. lawmakers are investigating whether Wall Street firm Goldman Sachs misled investors in order to profit ahead of the 2008 financial crisis. Executives of the firm are testifying at a Senate subcommittee hearing Tuesday to answer charges that as the U.S. housing market began to decline, they sold complex mortgages-backed investments that they knew would lose value. The head of the Senate panel, Democrat Carl Levin, said there is "no law against making a profit," but he criticized Goldman Sachs for "selling products that it did not want to succeed." Levin presented e-mails at the hearing that purportedly show Goldman Sachs urged clients to buy assets that the firm itself anticipated would lose money. In prepared written testimony, Goldman's chief executive officer Lloyd Blankfein, denies the investment firm "shorted," or purposely bet against the U.S. housing market, saying it lost approximately $1.2 billion in the mortgage meltdown. Blankfein says if Goldman's clients "believe that we don't deserve their trust, we cannot survive." Earlier this month, the federal government (the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission) filed a civil fraud suit against Goldman Sachs, accusing it of misleading investors by concocting mortgage investments that were designed to fail. The primary banker accused in that suit, Fabrice Tourre, testifying Tuesday, denied that he withheld information from investors. He said he will defend himself in court.  Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters. .