US prosecutors weigh charges against Petraeus: WP

WASHINGTON: Federal prosecutors have recommended that David H Petraeus face charges for providing classified documents to his biographer, raising the prospect of criminal proceedings against the retired four-star general and former CIA director, Washington Post reported.

The recommendation follows a federal probe into how the biographer, Paula Broadwell, apparently obtained classified records several years ago while working on a book about Petraeus. Broadwell was also his mistress, and the documents were discovered by investigators during the scandal that forced Petraeus's resignation as CIA director in 2012.

Attorney General Eric H Holder Jr must decide whether to pursue charges against Petraeus, the former top US commander in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to an official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.

Any classified information investigators discovered could expose both her and Petraeus to charges. It is a crime to remove classified information from secure, government locations as well as to provide that information to others not authorised to receive it. -INP