Former Fannie Mae Chief Executive Daniel Mudd wished he said "no" to more of the things the company was asked to do, he told the Wall Street Journal in an interview. "We were asked — or required — to expand lending, to conserve capital while providing liquidity, to meet housing goals for the underserved, to serve shareholders and homeowners alike," Mudd told the paper.

"I should have gone to the government and gotten a clear answer to the question: What do you want — more capital or more lending?" Mudd said.