Advertisement

Ex-CIA Boss Mishandled Classified Materials

Ex-CIA Boss Mishandled Classified Materials

Former CIA director David Petraeus has pleaded guilty to mishandling classified materials in connection with his extramarital affair.

The former top US Army general signed a plea agreement in US District Court in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Justice Department said in a statement.

Petraeus was charged with one count of unauthorised removal and retention of classified material.

The charge carries a possible penalty of up to one year in prison.

The retired four-star general's lawyers David Kendall and Robert Barnett have declined to comment on the guilty plea.

The case stemmed from Petraeus' admission to having an affair with a female Army Reserve officer.

A subsequent investigation focused on whether the woman, Paula Broadwell, was given access to highly classified information.

According to court documents, Petraeus gave Ms Broadwell binders of classified material from Afghanistan while she was writing the general's biography.

The materials, referred to as "black books" in court papers, included Petraeus' daily schedule and notes he took during official briefings.

The binders also included notes about Petraeus' discussions with President Barack Obama.

FBI agents seized the documents from Petraeus' home in Arlington, Virginia, in April 2013.

Petraeus acknowledged the affair after the FBI was tipped off by a Petraeus family friend who said she received harassing emails from Ms Broadwell.

He said the affair began in late 2011 after his stint in Afghanistan, and ended in the summer of 2012.

Petraeus resigned as head of the CIA amid pressure in November 2012.