Rep. King Questions Timing Of Revelations That Brought Down Petraeus
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Long Island U.S. Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) was wondering Sunday night why the scandal that brought down CIA Director David Petraeus came to light so soon before he was set to testify about the 9/11 attack in Benghazi, Libya.
As CBS 2's Don Dahler reported, there were new revelations in the scandal, with the identity having been released for a second woman in the case who was apparently a victim of the first.
But King had other questions in mind, as a cloud of suspicion is hung over the entire investigation.
"It just doesn't add up," King said.
He wanted to know why the allegations about Petraeus came to light just days before the planned Benghazi testimony, and during the week of the election.
"I think a timeline has to be looked at and analyzed to see what happened," King said.
Other Republicans who claim a White House cover-up of the Benghazi attack agree.
"I don't see how in the world you can find out what happened in Benghazi before, during, and after the attack if General Petraeus doesn't testify," said U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)
But not everyone believes the ouster of Petraeus will hinder the Benghazi hearings.
Testimony will now come from his deputy, Mike Morrell.
"You want the agency to testify you want someone who's knowledgeable about the event -- what the agency knew, what the agency did -- and Mike Morrell is fully qualified to do that," said former CIA director Michael Hayden.
Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) expressed disbelief over Petraeus' downfall.
"We received no advanced notice. It was like a lightning bolt," she said.
As chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Feinstein actually had a meeting with Petraeus for 3 p.m. Friday. But it was canceled Thursday night after the months-long investigation came to a head.
Sources said the investigation began when Jill Kelley, 37, received harassing e-mails from Petraeus' biographer and mistress, Paula Broadwell.
Petraeus and Kelley knew each other from the U.S. Central Command, where she is a civilian employee, but earned the title "honorary ambassador" for her fundraising efforts.
CBS News has learned there is absolutely no evidence they engaged in inappropriate behavior.
As for Broadwell, sources told CBS News she and Petraeus had an affair that began shortly after he became CIA director. It supposedly ended this summer.
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