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Federal prosecutors will pursue felony charges against retired Gen. David Petraeus, according to The New York Times. Petraeus stands accused of passing classified documents to Paula Broadwell, a writer who had an affair with Petraeus while writing a biography of him.
The classified government files were found on Broadwell's computer in 2012, after their affair became known to the public. Petraeus has denied the charges and vowed to refuse any plea deal.
Some question why Attorney General Eric Holder has delayed moving forward on the case, even though his Justice Department has vigorously prosecuted other government officials for leaking files to the media. According to The NYT:
Mr. Holder has said little publicly about the investigation. F.B.I. Director James B. Comey, asked by reporters in December why it was taking so long, said, "I can't say. I mean, I guess I could say, but I won't say." … At a press conference shortly after Mr. Petraeus resigned, President Obama said he had no evidence that Mr. Petraeus had disclosed classified information "that in any way would have had a negative impact on our national security." … But investigators concluded that, whether or not the disclosure harmed national security, it amounted to a significant security breach in the office of one of the nation's most trusted intelligence leaders. They recommended that Mr. Petraeus face charges, saying lower-ranking officials had been prosecuted for far less. …
Petraeus has endured a long, humiliating fall from grace over the last few years. It's easy to forget that he was once viewed as a hero—the only man capable of salvaging U.S. military efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Now ISIS is on the rise and Petraeus could be headed to prison.
In any case, I hope the feds deal with him fairly, irrespective of any moral or political failings he may be guilty of.
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