Freddie Mac drops two lobbyists

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 (UPI) -- The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. said Friday it is laying off two lobbyists following the U.S. government takeover of the lender this month.

Citing an e-mail from the lender's top executive, David Moffett, The Hill reported Friday that Freddie Mac has eliminated the positions of Tim McBride and Rob Zimmer. McBride was senior vice president for government and industry affairs and Zimmer was vice president for federal government affairs, the newspaper said.

In the e-mail, Moffett said the company's government and industry relations division was "being fundamentally repurposed, refocused and, as a result, reduced in size," and the division was ceasing all lobbying.

Freddie Mac reported spending $2.29 million on lobbying in the second quarter of 2008, The Hill said.

The e-mail said Freddie Mac would reorganize its government and industry affairs office to "serve a liaison function focused on the new business of Freddie Mac, not the politics -- providing information and responding to inquiries from trade and industry groups, consumer organizations, housing groups and the like."