Retired US Army General Petraeus May Be Indicted For Passing Classified Info To Former Mistress

Retired Army Gen. David Petraeus was at the center of an awful cheating scandal in 2012 when it was revealed that he'd had a sexual relationship with his biographer, Paula Broadwell. The firestorm forced one of the most recommended and decorated army generals in the United States to resign from the CIA after it was found that she had access to classified information that she could possibly have only gotten from him.

Now, things are about to take an even uglier turn as according to two U.S. officials, federal prosecutors are reportedly recommending that the retired Army Gen. should face criminal charges for the offence.

Via the New York Times;

The F.B.I. and Justice Department prosecutors have recommended bringing felony charges against retired Gen. David H. Petraeus for providing classified information to his former mistress while he was director of the C.I.A., officials said, leaving Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. to decide whether to seek an indictment that could send the pre-eminent military officer of his generation to prison.

The Justice Department investigation stems from an affair Mr. Petraeus had with Paula Broadwell, an Army Reserve officer who was writing his biography, and focuses on whether he gave her access to his C.I.A. email account and other highly classified information. F.B.I. agents discovered classified documents on her computer after Mr. Petraeus resigned from the C.I.A. in 2012 when the affair became public.

Mr. Petraeus, a retired four star-general who served as commander of American forces in both Iraq and Afghanistan, has said he never provided classified information to Ms. Broadwell, and has indicated to the Justice Department that he has no interest in a plea deal that would spare him an embarrassing trial. A lawyer for Mr. Petraeus, Robert B. Barnett, said Friday he had no comment.

Mr. Holder was expected to decide by the end of last year whether to bring charges against Mr. Petraeus, but he has not indicated how he plans to proceed. The delay has frustrated some Justice Department and F.B.I officials and investigators who have questioned whether Mr. Petraeus has received special treatment at a time Mr. Holder has led an unprecedented crackdown on government officials who reveal secrets to journalists.