On a day when David Petraeus spoke of moving on, an investigation into the retired general's mishandling of government secrets may turn toward his former lover, Paula Broadwell, reports the Charlotte Observer. Acting U.S. Attorney Jill Westmoreland Rose said, “This is an ongoing investigation. This case is not over.” Petraeus, 62, pleaded guilty yesterday to a misdemeanor count of unauthorized removal and retention of classified information. He shared the information with Broadwell, his biographer, then lied about doing so to the FBI. U.S. Magistrate Judge David Keesler sentenced the former CIA director and military commander to two years probation and a $100,000 fine, more than twice the amount spelled out in the plea bargain between Petraeus and prosecutors.
Broadwell, 42, did not respond to an Observer email seeking comment. Three years ago, Broadwell sent anonymous emails from a Charlotte coffee house that threatened and disparaged a female friend of Petraeus. The resulting FBI investigation discovered both her affair and highly classified government documents on Broadwell's home computer. The FBI later found that Petraeus shared eight “black books” of secret codes, highly sensitive diplomatic information and wartime strategies with Broadwell in 2011. At the time, she was writing, “All In,” Petraeus' biography. Legal experts say that because she was working as a journalist when she received the classified material from Petraeus, any government prosecution would be harder to prove.