Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter may demote retired Gen. David Petraeus after he admitted he gave classified information to his biographer and mistress while he was still in uniform.
Mr. Carter is looking to clamp down on misbehaving generals, and Gen. Petraeus could be next in line.
“The secretary is considering going in a different direction,” from the Army, which said the four-star general should retain his rank, a defense official told The Daily Beast.
The official said Mr. Carter wants to be consistent in his treatment of senior officers who engage in misconduct. If he chooses to punish Gen. Petraeus it would also send a message that high-ranking military officers are not immune to punishment.
If Gen. Petraeus is demoted, he would most likely become a lieutenant general and could have to repay hundreds of thousands of dollars to make up the annual difference in salaries from his former top ranking. His yearly pension would also drop from $220,000 to $170,000.
Gen. Petraeus retired from the Army in 2011 shortly before his controversial relationship with writer Paula Broadwell became public in August 2012. He admitted to sharing notebooks containing confidential information with Ms. Broadwell while they were overseas.
• Kellan Howell can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.
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