David Petraeus Sentenced After Pleading Guilty

After pleading guilty to charges of sharing classified information, David Petraeus was sentenced to a two-year probation and fined $100,000. The retired general, who The New York Times calls the highest-profile general in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, provided confidential information to Paula Broadwell, his biographer with whom he had an affair while he was the director of the CIA. According to USA Today, when asked by Judge David Keesler if he was guilty of the misdemeanor count of unauthorized removal and retention of several "black book" binders from his time in Afghanistan, Petraeus replied, "I am."

The New York Times reports that FBI officials and some prosecutors had believed Petraeus should receive time in prison for the crime of leaking highly secret information, creating arguments over whether or not Attorney General Eric Holder was being too lenient on the former top military commander. Prosecutors pointed out that not only did Petraeus share the information, but he also lied about it to the FBI. According to The Washington Post, making a false statement during an investigation to a federal law enforcement agent is actually a felony, and that alone could have came with a five-year prison sentence.

But though he did not receive prison time, the fine of $100,000 is actually $60,000 more than the fine the government recommended, because of the seriousness of the charges, according to The Charlotte Observer. During the sentencing, Petraeus spoke, stating;

I want to apologize for the pain my actions caused.

The Charlotte Observer reports that prosecutors say the eight notebooks Petraeus improperly retained included information such as war strategies, confidential codes, and even the true identities of undercover officers. Fortunately, prosecutors say, none of that classified information was published in Broadwell's book.

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