The blame game at Washington Mutual points frequently to the Seattle bank's second in command, Stephen Rotella, several executives said.

The bank, which was seized by the government Sept. 25 -- with much of it sold later to J.P. Morgan Chase -- hired Rotella as president and chief operating officer less than four years ago, the Seattle Times reported Tuesday.

Although praised by some, Rotella replaced "fair, caring and human" with "dynamic and driven" as the firm's leadership style, said one executive, who did not want his name in print.

During his tenure, the bank pulled away from conventional and subprime mortgages, ending 2007 with 56 percent of its loans in adjustable rate mortgages, home equity and subprime loans, the Times reported.

But, sales became more important than assessing risks, some executives said.

Not long after his arrival, Rotella stopped a risk-assessment overhaul at WaMu. "It was abandoned. The part that was supposed to reverse risk was reversed," one executives said.

Those at the bank who advocated for caution were "looked at as heretics for talking about the need for better disclosures and concerns about option ARMs," another former executive said, the Times reported.