Kessler: FBI Investigation Led to Petraeus Resignation
Friday, 09 Nov 2012
By Ronald Kessler
Ronald Kessler reporting from Washington, D.C. ? The resignation of David H. Petraeus as CIA director followed an FBI investigation of many months,
raising the question of why he was not forced out until after the election.
In his letter of resignation, Petraeus cited an extra-marital affair he had been having. ?After being married for over 37 years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair,? Petraeus said in his letter to President Obama. ?Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours.?
Petraeus, who had a distinguished military career, revealed no additional details. However, an FBI source says
the investigation began when American intelligence mistook an email Petraeus had sent to his girlfriend as a reference to corruption. Petraeus was commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan from July 4, 2010 until July 18, 2011.
The investigation began last spring, but the FBI then pored over his emails when he was stationed in Afghanistan.
The woman who was having an affair with Petraeus is a journalist who had been writing about him.
Given his top secret clearance and the fact that Petraeus is married, the FBI continued to investigate and intercept Petraeus? email exchanges with the woman. The emails include sexually explicit references to such items as sex under a desk.
Such a relationship is a breach of top secret security requirements and could have compromised Petraeus.