Gen. David Petraeus on Friday resigned as director of the Central Intelligence Agency, saying in a statement that he had shown “extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair.”
“Yesterday afternoon, I went to the White House and asked the President to be allowed, for personal reasons, to resign from my position as D/CIA,” Petraeus said in a statement, obtained by CNN. “After being married for over 37 years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair. Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours. This afternoon, the President graciously accepted my resignation.”
In a statement issued after the news broke, President Barack Obama said that CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell was now the agency’s acting director.
“Today, I accepted [Petraeus’] resignation as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency,” Obama said. “I am completely confident that the CIA will continue to thrive and carry out its essential mission, and I have the utmost confidence in Acting Director Michael Morell and the men and women of the CIA who work every day to keep our nation safe.”
The President called Petraeus “one of the outstanding General officers of his generation,” and said that he wished him and his wife, Holly Petraeus, “the very best at this difficult time.”
A separate statement issued Friday by Director of National Intelligence James Clapper called Petraeus “one of our nation’s great patriots.”
“Today, CIA Director David Petraeus submitted his letter of resignation to the President,” Clapper said in the statement, first obtained by The Washington Post. “Dave’s decision to step down represents the loss of one of our nation’s most respected public servants. From his long, illustrious Army career to his leadership at the helm of CIA, Dave has redefined what it means to serve and sacrifice for one’s country.’
Petraeus became the 20th Director of the CIA on Sept. 6, 2011, following a 37-year career in the U.S. Army.
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