st-former-gen-david-petraeus/
WASHINGTON - 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.
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