McCain urges FBI to end Petraeus probe

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is pressing the Justice Department to wrap up its two-year investigation into former CIA Director David Petraeus.

“Without commenting on the underlying merits or anticipating the outcome of the investigation, I can conclude this is a circumstance in which the principle of ‘justice delayed is justice denied’ is certainly at play, and that this matter needs to be brought to resolution,” McCain wrote in a letter Tuesday to Attorney General Eric Holder.

{mosads}Petraeus resigned in 2012, when an FBI investigation revealed an extramarital affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell.

The agency launched a probe into whether Petraeus directed members of his staff to share military documents and other sensitive records with Broadwell in the course of her work.

McCain added that public comment from Holder and other Justice officials about the case “raises questions about whether this investigation is being handled in a fundamentally fair and appropriate manner.”

McCain, the incoming chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, lauded Petraeus for his service in the military and as CIA chief, arguing his “unique expertise and insight on matters of defense and national security are of deep value to many Americans.” 

“At this critical moment in our nation’s security, Congress and the American people cannot afford to have this voice silenced or curtailed by the shadow of a long-running, unresolved investigation marked by leaks from anonymous sources,” he said.

McCain closed the letter by reminding Holder he is “not seeking action from your department on behalf of any particular interest — and don’t presume to judge the outcome of any investigation — but ask only that this matter be resolved in a fair and timely manner consistent with all existing rules and guidelines.”