Retired Army Gen. David Petraeus apologized again Tuesday for sharing classified information with his biographer and mistress, Paula Broadwell, in his first public testimony before Congress since stepping down as CIA director.
Mr. Petraeus told the Senate Armed Service Committee that he made a “serious mistake” four years ago that brought “discredit and pain” to those closest to him, The Associated Press reported.
“It was a violation of the trust placed in me and a breach of the values to which I had been committed throughout my life,” he said.
Mr. Petraeus stepped down as CIA director in late 2012 after his affair with Ms. Broadwell was revealed. He pleaded guilty to giving Ms. Broadwell classified documents but did not serve time in prison.
He was sentenced to two years of probation and fined $100,000 for unauthorized removal and retention of classified.
Mr. Petraeus spoke Tuesday to the committee about U.S. policy in the Middle East, giving what committee Chairman John McCain, Arizona Republican, called “one of the most comprehensive” overviews of the situation in the region.
He highlighted the crisis in Syria, saying President Bashar al-Assad “cannot be the solution” to the conflict and naming him as the sole person responsible for the death of some 250,000 people in the four-year civil war.
• Kellan Howell can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.