David Petraeus Affair: Adultery Punishable in the Military

[Omaha Steve]

Source: ABC

By MARTHA RADDATZ

Retired Gen. David Petraeus, who resigned as CIA director last week after admitting an extramarital relationship, could possibly face military prosecution for adultery if officials turn up any evidence to counter his apparent claims that the affair began after he left the military.

The affair between Petraeus and his biographer, Paula Broadwell, both of whom are married, began several months after his retirement from the Army in August 2011 and ended four months ago, retired U.S. Army Col. Steve Boylan, a former Petraeus spokesman, told ABC News.

Broadwell, 40, had extraordinary access to the 60-year-old general during six trips she took to Afghanistan as his official biographer, a plum assignment for a novice writer.

"For him to allow the very first biography to be written about him, to be written by someone who had never written a book before, seemed very odd to me," former Petraeus aide Peter Mansoor told ABC News.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/david-petraeus-affair-adultery-punishable-military/story?id=17696177#.UKEFIWez70o

[Kelvin Mace]

1. Not going to happen

The military is NOT going to prosecute one of their elites.

[AtheistCrusader]

5. HE won't be. But SHE will be.

That's where my money is.

[Kelvin Mace]

13. I'm confused

How would prosecuting her involve money?

I don't see her prosecuted because to go after her, they have to go after him. If they don't go after him, then they can't go after her.

Let me update that: She won't be prosecuted for leaking, but she could be prosecuted for threatening this other woman, depending on the nature of the threats. Both could face obstruction of justice charges if they have lied to investigators. As they said in Nixon's day, "Its not the crime, it's the cover up."

[AtheistCrusader]

19. She holds a reserve status in the military.

Last I read. I meant, I bet she will be prosecuted, where he will not be. Or the prosecutions will result in unequal punishment.

'Tis the way of the world.

[Kelvin Mace]

24. Ah, sorry misunderstood the contex

that you were talking about where to bet.

True, though again, if they go after her and not him, their will be hell to pay.

Also, the greatest peril both face is lying to the FBI about the timeline. Obstruction of justice is usually the downfall of these people.

[silvershadow]

6. Not that this will happen either, but...

Can't President and Commander-In-Chief, bring the charges himself and send the case to a Military Court for prosecution? The reason I ask is another thread I just read, where the so-called "conspiracy theorists" are onto a story about the political angle w/Behghazi. If Obama finds himself in a ridiculous situation, having Patreaus' pension on the ropes may make him squeal like a pig. I would love to see this other angle backfire in some poliitcos faces. This would be one way to do it I would think. Not that I subscribe to the theory in the first place, more wanting to know about the possibility.

[Kelvin Mace]

14. I personally reject

all of this conspiracy mongering. The guy was your typical conservative hypocrite, the rules apply to everyone but him.

The affair seems to predate the Benghazi attack, and it seems the investigation may as well.

I do not see how the president could personally bring charges, other than to instruct Holder to do so (not likely).

I think the Right will try to make something out of this against Obama, and I think Petreaus will jump on that bandwagon if he calculates it will help him (as will Broadwell). The problem is, the emails will provide a damning timeline and if either of them try that, they risk getting contradicted by their own emails (and perjury WILL bring prosecution).

Obama was an idiot for appointing this guy, as he is for appointing almost any conservative.

[silvershadow]

18. Now, there is something we agree on for sure...I hope he re-thinks the "olive-branch" mindset that

seems to show itself particularly when it comes to SOD appointments. Screw 'em. The President won. He won decisively. I see no need for any particular "gimme" to conservatives.

[elleng]

8. as he is and WAS RETIRED at the time!

[Kelvin Mace]

15. If they affair began when she started following him around a few years back

he could be subject to prosecution. That will be the critical issue, the timeline.

[elleng]

17. I've been corrected on this matter;

see posts ## 11 + 12.

[Milliesmom]

22. Your right

He is not in the Military any longer I thought he retired before he became C.I. A. director, no double dipping!

[Kelvin Mace]

23. Well, the question is when the affair began

some evidence indicates it started while he was still in service, which would make it a prosecutable offense. That said, I don't see them going after him.

[valerief]

2. But in the US our food, water, and air can be poisoned with impunity. Amazing. nt

[Ineeda]

3. Other than the potential James Bond-ish

aspect, this couldn't be much more boring, except to the families directly involved, of course.

[Kelvin Mace]

16. Agreed

a sordid little saga.

[bigdarryl]

4. If he was a democrat he would face court martial

these rethugs get away with murder

[24601]

21. Remember when Bill Cinton resigned? Oh that's tight, he didn't. Accept the behavior in the

highest office and you are forever compromised stomping it out in lesser positions.

The sooner this is gone, the better for Obama.

[elleng]

7. Any DU complainers here notice:

'The affair between Petraeus and his biographer, Paula Broadwell, both of whom are married, began several months AFTER HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE ARMY in August 2011...' (emphasis added.)

[Ashgrey77]

11. Please read the UCMJ.

He retired and that means he still gets a check from the Army, so that means he's still under the yoke of the UCMJ.


802. ART. 2. PERSONS SUBJECT TO THIS CHAPTER

(a) The following persons are subject to this chapter:

(1) Members of a regular component of the armed forces, including those awaiting discharge after expiration of their terms of enlistment; volunteers from the time of their muster or acceptance into the armed forces; inductees from the time of their actual induction into the armed forces; and other persons lawfully called or ordered into, or to duty in or for training in the armed forces, from the dates when they are required by the terms of the call or order to obey it.

(2) Cadets, aviation cadets, and midshipman.

(3) Members of a reserve component while on inactive-duty training, but in the case of members of the Army National Guard of the United States or the Air National Guard of the United States only when in Federal Service.

(4) Retired members of a regular component of the armed forces who are entitled to pay.

(5) Retired members of a reserve component who are receiving hospitalization from an armed force.



Source, http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/ucmj.htm

[elleng]

12. Sorry.

Too bad 'boys will be boys' won't work for him (and how many others, who are playing and 'taking,' as coultergeist says?)

[Blasphemer]

20. I wonder if there is independent confirmation of this

I don't think this story is any more complicated than marital infidelity but it seems that the information related to the dates of the affair come from Petraeus and Broadwell. She did spend time with him before they say the affair began. However, IF it started earlier, there may not be proof.

[Dont call me Shirley]

9. She was a set-up. Just like Monica.

[olddad56]

10. or Bill was set up by Monica.

shirley