Petraeus' preferential punishment

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Petraeus' preferential punishment

Mitch Weiss of the Associated Press reports:

A federal judge in Charlotte unsealed the documents Monday, two months after the retired four-star general was sentenced to two years of probation and fined $100,000 for unauthorized removal and retention of classified information.

Once again, it’s hard to see this as anything but hypocrisy from the letter-writers. After all, he didn’t merely disclose classified information, he did it in the context of moral turpitude (providing it to his then-mistress/biographer), and then he lied about it.

Speaking of context, here’s a bit more about someone who only disclosed classified information, with no moral turpitude or subsequent lying:

Supporters of Jeffrey Sterling, a former CIA officer convicted of giving a New York Times reporter classified details of an operation to derail Iran's nuclear ambitions, had noted the Petraeus case. Sterling was sentenced last month to 42 months in prison, but federal prosecutors in Virginia had been urging a stiffer sentence.

Perhaps some people will agree Petraeus, a retired four-star general, should get more latitude than mere officers and analysts would get. But he was the head of the CIA at the time of his offense, and should have been a shining example of perfect adherence to national security classification regulations. Isn’t it possible that the head of the CIA had information even more sensitive than the anti-nuclear Iran operation disclosed by Sterling?

Of course it is possible, and likely. So it’s hard to see justice in an outcome that results in zero jail time for Petraeus.

Previously: Petraeus reaches plea deal with Justice Department - joeross.me/blog

Public domain CIA-produced image found at Wikipedia

#Links #Law #national security #Link #associated press #Petraeus