Fed says didn't advise BofA's Lewis on disclosure

No one at the Federal Reserve advised Bank of America chief Kenneth Lewis on any disclosure issues, Fed spokeswoman Michelle Smith said on Thursday.

No one at the Federal Reserve advised Ken Lewis or Bank of America on any questions of disclosure, Smith said in an e-mail responding to a question. It has long been the Federal Reserve's view that questions of this nature are best addressed by individual institutions and their legal counsel, as they are in a position to understand clearly their obligations and responsibilities.

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said on Thursday that Lewis was pressured by senior federal officials Henry Paulson and Ben Bernanke to accept a merger with troubled Merrill Lynch & Co or lose his job.

(Reporting by Mark Felsenthal; Editing by Dan Grebler)