California's attorney general sued Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on Tuesday, seeking to force the firms to answer a detailed list of questions after the firms' federal regulator sought to block an open-ended inquiry by the state.

Attorney General Kamala Harris wants to know about mortgage loans the two bought, about all foreclosed property they own in the state and whether they know if illegal activities are going on in any of them

Papers filed in the suit included a letter in which the Federal Housing Finance Agency directed Fannie and Freedie not to answer Harris' initial questions. FHFA asked the attorney general to withdraw them instead.