Freddie Mac's acting CFO David Kellermann, 41, was found dead in his Vienna, Virginia home early Wednesday morning. According to Washington, D.C. ""television station WUSA"":http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspxxstoryid=84706&catid=158, Kellermann's wife told local police he committed suicide.
A spokesperson for the Fairfax County police department could not confirm that Kellermann's death was a suicide, but said an investigation is underway and there appear to be no signs of foul play.
Kellermann was named acting CFO of mortgage giant Freddie Mac last September, after the government seized control of the GSEs and former CFO Anthony ""Buddy"" Piszel stepped down from the post. Previously, Kellerman held the positions of SVP, corporate controller, and principal accounting officer. He was with Freddie Mac for more than 16 years.
The GSEs' regulator, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), issued the following statement: ""We at FHFA are very saddened by the death of David Kellermann. For many years, we have known David as a person of the utmost ethical standards who was hardworking and knowledgeable in his field. As the acting chief financial officer of Freddie Mac during particularly challenging times, David was an inspiration to his staff and many others who were privileged to work with him. We extend our condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.""
Kellermann was responsible for financial controls and reporting at Freddie Mac. The company disclosed in March that investigators from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Justice Department have been looking into possible accounting violations and other corporate governance matters. It has been reported that the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia is also conducting a similar investigation. Freddie Mac has said it is cooperating fully with the inquiries.
Another one of Freddie Mac's top executive positions was left vacant when CEO David Moffett resigned last month after six months on the job. John Koskinen, formerly Freddie's chairman, has been leading the company as interim CEO.
Koskinen said the entire Freddie Mac organization was ""truly saddened"" by the news of Kellerman's death. He called Kellerman ""a man of great talents"" with ""extraordinary work ethic and integrity.""
""But he will be most remembered for his affability, his personal warmth, his sense of humor, and his quick wit,"" Koskinen said.