FBI, Prosecutors Want Felony Charges Against General Petraeus

General Petraeus flying over Afghanistan with Paula Broadwell.

FBI, Prosecutors Want Felony Charges Against General Petraeus

Is Petraeus receiving special treatment at a time Mr. Holder has led a crackdown on government officials who reveal secrets to journalists?

FBI and US Justice Department prosecutors are recommending bringing felony charges against disgraced former CIA Director David Petraeus, the New York Times reported last night.

It is up to outgoing Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. to decide whether to seek an indictment that could send Petraeus to prison.

Petraeus resigned from the C.I.A. in November of 2012 when it became public that the married Petraeus was having an affair with Paula Broadwell, an Army Reserve officer who was writing his biography.

F.B.I. agents discovered that Petraeus was giving Broadwell highly classified top-secret documents that she was not authorized to see or possess.

"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 a crackdown on government officials who reveal secrets to journalists," the Times reported.

Petraeus is a retired four-star general who served as commander of American forces in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Petraeus now spends his time giving speeches and as chairman of the KKR Global Institute, a part of the private-equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts.

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