Ant Financial, the affiliate of China`s Alibaba Group Holding Ltd that agreed to buy money transfer company MoneyGram International Inc for $1.2 billion, has resubmitted the deal for U.S. review, people familiar with the matter said.

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The deal is the latest and most high-profile transaction to be refiled this year with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), a secretive government panel which reviews acquisitions by foreign entities for potential national security risks.

Ant Financial and MoneyGram refiled after they were unable to secure clearance from CFIUS within the maximum time of 75 days that is awarded for assessing applications, the sources said on Tuesday.

Refiling resets the clock and gives up to another 75 days for the companies to complete the national security review and try to resolve potential issues.

"We are not commenting on the CFIUS process, but we are continuing to work with the various regulatory agencies and remain focused on closing the transaction by the end of the year," Ant Financial said in a statement.

MoneyGram declined to comment.

A CFIUS refile does not necessarily mean that a deal will be rejected, although it does indicate increased government scrutiny. More deals have had to be refiled with CFIUS following the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump in January, as several key positions at several government departments remain vacant or have taken too long to be filled.

CFIUS did not respond to a request for comment.

CFIUS had accepted notices of more than 120 transactions as of June 23, on pace to set a record, according to estimates by law firm Covington