Four U.S. senators — including both of New Jersey's — have called for new oversight hearings on the flood insurance claims of Sandy victims, citing evidence that private insurance companies denied the claims of thousands of homeowners based upon fraudulently altered engineering reports.

Sens. Robert Menendez and Cory Booker, both D-N.J., along with Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer, both D-N.Y., sent a letter Monday to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, asking for an oversight hearing "to further examine FEMA's handling of the Sandy claims process and its oversight of the private insurance companies that facilitate the program on its behalf."

The senators were responding in part to an investigative piece aired Sunday by the CBS News program "60 Minutes," in which Brad J. Kieserman, deputy associate administrator for insurance at FEMA, said the agency was aware of potential fraud involving a denied insurance claim "in late 2013." The senators said they were unaware of any investigation.

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