David Petraeus sentenced to probation for leaking government secrets

Former CIA Director and retired General David Petraeus was sentenced to two years of probation and a $100,000 fine today for leaking classified government intelligence to his biographer and mistress Paula Broadwell. The sentence is the end of a drawn out, very public ordeal for Petraeus, whose fall from grace was precipitous.

Petraeus will avoid prison

The scandal started in 2012, when the FBI discovered — apparently by accident — that Petraeus, then CIA Director, was disclosing classified information to Broadwell. Petraeus soon resigned from the agency, and charges were filed against him by the Justice Department. Petraeus ultimately took a deal, pleading guilty to one charge of sharing classified information.

Although that charge carries the potential for one year in prison, prosecutors agreed to recommend against prison time for Petraeus — reportedly a controversial decision within the Justice Department — and a judge concurred, although the judge also increased the fine to $60,000 more than what prosecutors asked for. Petraeus avoided additional charges for lying to the FBI during its investigation.

A trial would likely have turned into another protracted spectacle for Petraeus and law enforcement, as more emails from Petraeus' personal life, as well as government secrets, would be revealed.