“Fannie Mae is owned by shareholders but operates under a federal charter that exempts it from paying state or local taxes. As a result, many professional investors think the government would repay the debt that Fannie Mae had issued if the company could not, although Fannie Mae explicitly says that its bonds do not carry a federal guarantee.”

American writer and former New York Times reporter

Alex Norman Berenson is an American writer and former reporter for The New York Times. He is known for his thriller novels and for his book on corporate financial filings. His 2019 book, Tell Your Children: The Truth About Marijuana, Mental Illness and Violence, drew sharp criticism and provoked controversy. The response from many in the scientific and medical communities was strongly negative, and that debate remains a defining part of his public profile.