Freddie's Chief Lobbyist May Leave

Freddie Mac is talking to its chief in-house lobbyist, R. Mitchell Delk, regarding his "continued employment" with the company, according to a spokeswoman for the mortgage giant.Asked whether Mr. Delk would be leaving the company, the spokeswoman said, "Not necessarily." According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Mr. Delk is negotiating "the terms of his departure" with Freddie. Mr. Delk, who carries the title of senior vice president of government relations and public policy, earned $1.14 million in compensation last year. He could not be reached for comment as of MortgageWire's deadline on Wednesday. Last fall, the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen asked the Federal Elections Commission to investigate alleged violations of campaign finance laws by Mr. Delk and a Republican fund-raising firm. Public Citizen, though, did not accuse Freddie Mac, as a corporate entity, of any campaign finance law violations. If Mr. Delk did leave, it would come at a critical time for the company. Congress is considering legislation to strengthen regulatory oversight of Freddie, Fannie Mae, and the Federal Home Loan Bank System. Freddie Mac can be found online at http://www.freddiemac.com.