Emanuel, Durbin Weigh In On Petraeus Scandal
(CBS)– Mayor Rahm Emanuel and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin weighed in Monday on the sex scandal that ended the career of CIA director David Petraeus, who resigned last week.
Petraeus, a 60-year-old retired four-star general, acknowledged carrying on an affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell, while he ran the intelligence agency – a breach of security protocol.
Before the scandal broke, Broadwell, a major in the Army Reserves, said she was granted some degree of access to the inner workings of the CIA.
Now, in light of their affair, that access is of concern.
"Questions need to be asked, and they will be, about whether any kind of classified information was transmitted to this person that he had an affair with," Durbin said. "These questions need to asked for the record."
Broadwell, who had a security clearance, said she understood the importance of protecting the integrity of intelligence she learned. But she did cross a line when she allegedly sent threatening emails to Jill Kelley, a Petraeus family friend whom Broadwell reportedly viewed as a romantic rival.
That led to the FBI investigation, and ultimately Petraeus' resignation, something that truly shocked those who know and respect him, including Emanuel.
"He can hold his head up high for having served his country admirably for the lion's share of his adult life," the mayor said. "I've always believed one action does not define a lifetime of service. You are judged by the entirety of work in your life."
