The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has confirmed to TPM that Gen. David Petraeus has resigned as the director of the CIA.
“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.”
Friday afternoon, MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell read Petraeus’ letter of resignation live on air.
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper also released a statement Friday, calling 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.’
