Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) blasted the FBI’s recommendation for criminal charges against former CIA Director David Petraeus on Saturday, one day after news from the investigation was leaked to The New York Times.
“While the facts of the case involving General David Petraeus remain unknown and are not suitable for comment, it is clear that this investigation has been grievously mishandled,” McCain said in a statement issued jointly with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).
{mosads}”It is outrageous that the highly confidential and law enforcement-sensitive recommendation of prosecutors to bring charges against General Petraeus was leaked to the New York Times,” the statement continued.
“No American deserves such callous treatment, let alone one of America’s finest military leaders,” it concluded.
Federal prosecutors believe Petraeus should face criminal charges, claiming he provided classified information to a former mistress at the time of their affair. Petraeus, a retired four-start general, says this claim is false.
The decision whether to seek an indictment ultimately lies with Attorney General Eric Holder.
McCain has criticized the investigation in the past, writing to Holder last month: “Congress and the American people cannot afford to have [Petraeus’s] voice silenced or curtailed by the shadow of a long-running, unresolved investigation.”