5 Exec. Suicides in 5 Months

" SEC Justice Department have been investigating Freddie Mac. Over questions of accounting disclosure and corporate governance at the company's annual recent SEC filing published reports indicate that the Kellerman. As -- just mentioned was not a target of the probe but was someone. Investigators did intend to question whether or not this question before that attempted suicide that is unknown -- suicide was the fifth. By high profile executive in the past five months. But a closer look at the stress facing executives and companies under fire and joined by Zachary Goldfarb is a financial reporter with the Washington Post. Who interviewed -- Freddie Mac colleagues from as a piece in today's Washington Post and Robert price is author of -- trains greed ego and the death. Of Enron and managing editor. -- energy tribute to good morning gentlemen thank you for being here is that when you start with you. What new information can you give us this morning. About what role David Keller -- may have played in some of those accounting irregularities that date back to 2007."

" Well mr. column and its name didn't appear any of the reports there were a number of reports about those accounting scandals. And his name appear didn't appear. In any of them so as far as we know right now he did didn't play any role in the accounting -- dating back to 2003. He really have actually a little mileage from Merck middle manager at that point in his ascension that Freddie Mac over the past few years came in reforming the company's internal controls and accounting systems. Which they were required to do in their settlement with the SEC. So in fact what is it that. I guess people believed this morning could have led to his decision to in fact taken -- Well of course we don't know we do know as your reporter mentioned. That he had been under enormous stress in the past. A couple of months member of the government seized Freddie Mac last September when the company was losing billions and billions of dollars. And he is now back to wrestle with the regulator with a shareholder with a ball with the with the internal -- Freddie Mac with -- investors. With disclosures. And an ever growing list that has a long time Freddie Mac employee for sixteen years he was called on to handle many of the company's. Activities and he had just been Freddie Mac CEO for a couple of weeks. When you know last September and only months when he took his own life so. He just had been under enormous stress and earnings from different areas but we don't know of course what the actual cause laws."

" Email rob bird I understand that this -- this is going to looked eerily familiar to a case that you call recovered very very closely now with the Enron case. Or what you -- the intense pressure and scrutiny and particularly in this case. The vilification of some of these leaders that leads to these really saddened horrific stories."

" Well in in the Enron case it was cliff Baxter who had left the company in in May of 2001. The company failed in December. And then he took his own life in January of 2002. -- shot himself in as the Mercedes and Sugar Land, Texas so. Class -- Baxter was somewhat different case than Kellerman and that he had left the company. But Baxter sold more than thirty or 34 million dollars and Enron stock. In the three years -- before the company failed. In addition he had been sued personally. This senate was investigating the case and had asked him for documents he was being asked to testify. And so he was under intense scrutiny. And in -- and in a number from a number of different fronts he was also close to Jeff Skilling and knew that he was likely going to be called on to testify in any cases against skilling or against. Potentially himself for other employees show there was the Baxter case and then later in 2006. Or actually back in 2002 a company that was similar to Enron had similar problems did not fail with Enron I was El Paso Corp. Charles rice El Paso corporation's treasurer took his own life also in 2002 had. And then in 2006. Ken lay died. Under circumstances that some people suggest. In may have been not necessarily suicide but my case where he had we're."

" Ask him some medication right exactly exactly leave the follow up with you here I'm sure investigators are doing a lot of homework today. What does the situation stand as we know at this hour particularly inside the doors of Freddie Mac what are they saying in the."

" Well inside Freddie Mac they're really in a period period of mourning. For their lost colleagues. They. You universal praise for on the department although you know widely people say that he was under a lot of stress and in recent months that particular he thought a lot of pressure from the various interests are calling for his time. People Freddie Mac have had a very difficult for years overall starting with the accounting struggle you mentioned who then the government takeover recently Al lawmakers had demanded that retention payments or bonuses being paid to Freddie Mac employees -- approved by the garment. Be taken back through and all of this they're feeling that they were taken over by the garbage and now being called to implement a housing recovery plan for the benefit of the public and why not you know not girl bottom line so. They feel very torn and very upset by this is the most personal. Tribunal in a series of setbacks for the company."

" Yeah its employees. It it is such an -- a difficult story Zachary and Robert I want to thank you guys very much and of course. All this vilification and doesn't add to what we have to wonder whether or not leaning too much of anyone employees are groups that. Could actually be leading to it to some of these tragic story gentlemen thank you very much."