US Freddie Mac chief found dead

Washington - The acting chief financial officer of struggling US mortgage giant Freddie Mac, David Kellermann (photo), has been found hanging in the basement of his Reston home 20km west of Washington DC, dead from an apparent suicide early this morning. The 41-year-old had been Freddie Mac's chief financial officer since September. Kellermann's job included responsibilities for the company's financial controls, financial reporting and tax.  

Freddie Mac and sibling company Fannie Mae, which together own or back more than half the home mortgages in the country, have been hobbled by skyrocketing loan defaults and have received about $60 billion in combined federal aid. The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Justice Department have been questioning Freddie Mac's executives about accounting violations and other topics. According to securities reports filed in March, Kellermman was to receive an $850,000 bonus.