NYTimes | The F.B.I. and Justice Department prosecutors have recommended bringing felony charges against David H. Petraeus, contending that he provided classified information to a lover 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.
The
officials who said that charges had been recommended were briefed on
the investigation but asked for anonymity because they were not
authorized to discuss it.
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
protracted process has also frustrated Mr. Petraeus’s friends and
political allies, who say it is unfair to keep the matter hanging over
his head. Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, wrote to Mr.
Holder last month that the investigation had deprived the nation of
wisdom from one of its most experienced leaders.
