Former CIA director may face charges
David Petraeus investigated over leak of classified data
WASHINGTON— The Justice Department is weighing bringing criminal charges against former CIA director David Petraeus over the handling of classified information, a U.S. official said Friday night. Investigators have presented senior-level Justice Department officials such as Attorney General Eric Holder with information on the case to help inform a decision on charging the former four-star general, the official said.
The official was not authorized to discuss the investigation by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. Robert Barnett, a lawyer for Petraeus, declined to comment Friday night, as did Marc Raimondi, a spokesman for the Justice Department.
Federal investigators have been looking into whether Petraeus improperly shared classified materials with his biographer, Paula Broadwell, with whom he admitted having an affair when he resigned from his position in November 2012. Agents found a substantial number of classified documents on Broadwell’s computer and at her home, a law enforcement official has previously said.
Both have publicly apologized for the relationship. They have said their romantic relationship began only after he retired from the military and started at the CIA.
The scandal marked an abrupt fall for Petraeus, a man who led U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and was thought to be a potential candidate for president. It was not immediately clear when any decision would be made on whether to charge Petraeus.