Report: The Pentagon Might Retroactively Demote David Petraeus
In an effort to hold officers accountable, the Pentagon is considering demoting disgraced General and former C.I.A. director David Petraeus, according to a new report by The Daily Beast. If the reduction in rank goes through, Petraeus could end up owing hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Gen. Patraeus, who was disgraced after it was revealed he leaked classified information to his biographer and mistress back in 2012, would apparently be used as an example in Secretary of Defense Ash Carter’s campaign to “clamp down on misbehaving generals.” From The Daily Beast:
“The secretary is considering going in a different direction” from the Army, a defense official told The Daily Beast, because he wants to be consistent in his treatment of senior officers who engage in misconduct and to send a message that even men of Petraeus’s fame and esteemed reputation are not immune to punishment.
Former Army Secretary John McHugh, however, has recommended that no action be taken against Petraeus at all, who was already fined $100,000 back in April.
Still, if Carter does decide to move forward with reducing Patraeus back to a lieutenant general, as The Daily Beast notes, it’d be a major hit for a man who was once heralded as the Republican’s best chance in 2016. Because as far as money goes, he’s doing just fine.
