NEW YORK (REUTERS) - United States Investigations Services, the private firm that vetted former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, has agreed to pay US$30 million (S$42 million) to resolve US claims connected to its background investigations.

The US Justice Department said on Wednesday that the settlement with USIS and its parent company, Altegrity, will resolve claims that the firm failed to perform quality control reviews in connection with its background investigations.

The settlement resolves a lawsuit originally filed by a whistleblower that the Justice Department later joined.

The lawsuit was separate from issues involving the firm's review of Snowden.