Feds sue biggest US banks over risky mortgages

NEW YORK (AP) - The government has sued the nation's largest banks, along with a handful of other financial institutions and executives, for violating federal and state laws in the sale of home mortgage-backed securities.

Among the 17 institutions targeted by the lawsuits were Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc., JP Morgan Chase & Co., Goldman Sachs.

Home mortgage-backed securities were risky investments whose collapse after the real-estate bust helped fuel the financial crisis that erupted in late 2008.

The lawsuits were filed Friday by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees mortgage buyers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.