To Send a Message, Judge Sentences David Petraeus to 75% of One Speaking Fee

Former CIA Director David Petraeus just got sentenced to two years of probation for leaking highly sensitive information to his mistress and then lying to the FBI about it.

Petraeus had asked to enter the court room via a backdoor, so he would not be photographed, but he was forced to enter the courthouse in the normal fashion.

As happens with big-wigs, Petraeus’ lawyer cited the 34 letters of support from other big-wigs sent on his behalf. Petraeus admitted his crimes and apologized to those he hurt.

The only “surprise” of the hearing is that, rather than getting slapped with a $40,000 fine, Judge David Keesler more than doubled the fine to send a message.

To $100,000.

According to SpeakerPedia, Petraeus makes upwards of $132,750 for each speech.

In other words, this fine, meant to be especially harsh so as to send a message about the gravity of Petraeus’ crimes, is about 75% of one speaker’s fee for Petraeus.

Investigative journalist Marcy Wheeler writes the “Right to Know” column for ExposeFacts. She is best known for providing in-depth analysis of legal documents related to “war on terrorism” programs and civil liberties. Wheeler blogs at emptywheel.net and publishes at outlets including the Guardian, Salon, and the Progressive. She is the author of Anatomy of Deceit: How the Bush Administration Used the Media to Sell the Iraq War and Out a Spy. Wheeler won the 2009 Hillman Award for blog.

Reprinted with permission from ExposeFacts.

19 thoughts on “To Send a Message, Judge Sentences David Petraeus to 75% of One Speaking Fee”

  1. It used to be that scum settled to the bottom…ain't these wonderful times!!!

    1. Two years (probation) for this scum… Bradley Manning received 35 years for exposing
      murdering USG thugs. Jeff Sterling is looking at 100 years in prison. Chicken hawks
      like McCain and Clinton (feel) Mr. Snowden should get the firing squad.

    1. Yup, in Francis Dec's words, "The scum on top."

      This is a government is a government of the criminals, for the criminals, by the criminals and is the most successful criminal enterprise in the history of the world.

  2. A better message would have been a Televised Cashiering from the Army, where all his rank insignia was ripped off his uniform his buttons removed his medals confiscated and his ceremonial sword broken THEN thirty years in Leavenworth! Does he still get his Pension? How long before he has a Job on Fox News as a presenter just like his fellow traitor Ollie North!

    1. "Does he still get his Pension?"

      Silly rabbit… As for his next job, if any of the rightwing wackjobs should stumble and actually get elected, Lord Petraeus will probably be installed as SecDef or National Security Advisor. Can't look back, as they say…

  3. Bradley Manning gets what? 35 years??? At least Manning does not have blood on his hands like this vile animal.

  4. The "just-us" system works again for this fierce (at least when it comes to his concubine) warrior.

  5. Is this a felony conviction, which means Betray-us Petreaus can no longer legally own or possess firearms? Or have they jiggered some 'deferred adjudication' which will wipe his record clean after the two years probation.

    He won't ever have to work paycheck to paycheck, nor pawn his car to pay the electric bill, nor become a regular at the Payday Loan store, that's for sure. The Percent takes care of their own.

  6. You're wasting outrage on this. A nation needs to have an army, and an army needs to have a chain of command. In any hierarchy the executives need to have more room for decisions, which includes room for leaking. Officially approved leaks can be an effective way of deterring an adversary without bombs and bullets. You don't want the PFCs to be making decisions of this type.

    The real problem isn't the existence of an army with a hierarchy. The problem is that our army has been misused for completely evil purposes since 1950. Those decisions were made ABOVE the entire army, often with large sections of the officer class firmly opposed to the decisions.

  7. His “punishment” isn’t punishment at all. Hell, all he has to do is make a few extra speeches.

    Petraeus doesn’t have to

    worry about about where his next cocktail is coming from.

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