Former CIA head David Petraeus to plead guilty in plea deal

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published 3 March 2015

David Petraeus will reportedly plead guilty as part of a plea deal with the Justice Department, The New York Times reports. The deal will allow Petraeus, a retired four-star general, to avoid an "embarrassing" trial over whether he gave classified information to his mistress and biographer, Paula Broadwell, while he was director of the CIA. Petraeus, who has denied criminal wrongdoing, will plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge for mishandling classified information.

The affair was discovered by FBI agents who were investigating cyberstalking allegations. During an investigation into Broadwell, the agents found evidence that Petraeus had trusted her with classified information. But at a press conference in 2012, President Obama said there was no evidence Petraeus divulged classified information "that in any way would have had a negative impact on our national security," according to the Times.