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Spokesman: House majority leader knew of Petraeus matter in October (I give up!)
cnn ^ | 11/11/2012 | staff

Posted on 11/11/2012 11:22:45 AM PST by tobyhill

House majority leader Eric Cantor talked to an FBI official in late October about former CIA Director David Petraeus' involvement in an affair, a spokesman for the congressman told CNN Sunday.

Doug Heye said Cantor had a conversation with the whistleblower about the affair and the national security concerns involved in the matter.

The New York Times reported Saturday that on October 31, Cantor's chief of staff phoned the FBI to inform the agency about the call between the congressman and the FBI official. The Times reported Cantor learned of the whistleblower through Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Washington.

A spokeswoman for Reichert told CNN Sunday that the Times article was accurate but that the congressman had no further comment on his involvement in the case.

Petraeus' affair came to light when an FBI investigation looked into a complaint that his biographer, Paula Broadwell, was sending harassing e-mails to another woman close to the retired four-star general, a U.S. official told CNN Saturday.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: benghazi; benghazigate; broadwell; ericcantor; peterking; petraeus; petraeusaffair
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To: tobyhill

Issa should have been notified. Armed with this explosive information, he would have found a way to pressure releases of info on Benghazi by bargaining with administration officials through backchannels. And Boehner knew.

Perhaps Cantor thought it could have been a trap by the Chicago mob. They certainly would have no problem feeding false info to the GOP, and having it backfire big time. “How dare the GOP politicize national security, with pre-election smears against a war hero?”

Regardless, time for a real Speaker and Majority Leader. Ryan, Issa, Gohmert, anyone but these two mollusks.


61 posted on 11/11/2012 1:00:47 PM PST by rfp1234 (Arguing with a liberal is like playing chess with a pigeon.)
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To: tobyhill
I believe Patraeus is a man of honor and would have resigned immediately knowing the jig is up.

A man of honor doesn't cheat on his wife.

62 posted on 11/11/2012 1:04:26 PM PST by Sirius Lee (RE SP - Republicans, from Mitt Romney ..to Karl Rove... are said to be concerned she will win.")
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To: Sirius Lee

That’s true. I should rephrase that, he served his country proudly.


63 posted on 11/11/2012 1:07:51 PM PST by tobyhill
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To: rfp1234

Doubletalk. Doubletalk.
(Duplicate post from slow connection.)


64 posted on 11/11/2012 1:08:14 PM PST by rfp1234 (Arguing with a liberal is like playing chess with a pigeon.)
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To: Tau Food

Didn’t know enough of the details. It could have been a honey trap. The FBI and others needed to find out if there was a security breach. It could also have been false.

As for the resignation there is another reason he had to resign is the affair started and went on when he was a commissioned officer not just head of CIA. That is a courtmartial offense (adultery) and in his career he would have overseen judicial and nip activities involving this.


65 posted on 11/11/2012 1:13:43 PM PST by airedale
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To: Andrei Bulba; ravenwolf; tobyhill
Andrei Bulba, post #16: "This whole thing is preposterous.
Yes, he screwed up, but this was USED to ruin P at an opportune time."

Bingo! We have a winner.

Now if we could just get every government official who's had an affair to resign, and not replace them -- then just think of the benefits to the national debt, deficits, government credibility, irresponsible spending, you name it.

Now imagine if all that surplus sexual energy were sublimated, not to increasing the size and power of government, but rather to improving economic conditions by starting and running new businesses, etc...

In other words: General David Petraeus, being a true national hero, is honorably leading us by example.
So how many slimy politicians and bureaucrats are honorable enough to follow him?

;-)

66 posted on 11/11/2012 1:14:27 PM PST by BroJoeK (a little historical perspective....)
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To: iowamark
Are you suggesting that Cantor should have gone public with the news? That would have been very unwise.

Unwise why - because it may have cost us the election? OOPS! That already happened!!! Boehner and the rest of the House Leadership can kiss my lilly white arse. They're now no better than the Democrats. Time for a truly CONSERVATIVE party.

67 posted on 11/11/2012 1:16:40 PM PST by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: driftdiver

How can the CIA director sleeping around be classified information? If that is true, it’s crazy. That’s nothing but good political fodder, not information useful to our enemies since we already know it. Cantor should’ve leaked it for sure. On top of Benghazi, it would have swung the election.


68 posted on 11/11/2012 1:29:13 PM PST by gotribe
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To: tobyhill

True or not, people testifying do not know what WB documents, tapes, e-mails, congress holds in their hands


69 posted on 11/11/2012 1:59:14 PM PST by Steven Tyler
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To: BroJoeK

So how many slimy politicians and bureaucrats are honorable enough to follow him?


I don,t know how many honorable people there are in this nation, but i doubt if there is enough to get very many people in Washington who is honorable.

Personally i really don,t care what some general does as long as he is not a socialist or a queer.


70 posted on 11/11/2012 2:04:43 PM PST by ravenwolf
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To: iowamark

No, he should have warned Issa and asked him to immediately recall Petraeus and others, under oath. Even if the hearings had been behind closed doors, the mere hint to Fox News and others that Issa’s committee had explosive information on Benghazi would have made Obambi look like Nixon. That probably would have forced Hillary and others to throw him under the bus.


71 posted on 11/11/2012 2:44:04 PM PST by rfp1234 (Arguing with a liberal is like playing chess with a pigeon.)
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To: tobyhill

Peter King would be a better choice for Speaker.


72 posted on 11/11/2012 2:45:25 PM PST by rfp1234 (Arguing with a liberal is like playing chess with a pigeon.)
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To: tobyhill

why is the headline supplemented with “(I give up)”? what is it you would have expected Eric Cantor to do and why?


73 posted on 11/11/2012 3:27:21 PM PST by plain talk
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To: plain talk
Call Petraeus behind closed doors, ask him straight out and then when Petraeus admits his role then request his resignation immediately. Giving it to the FBI only allowed them time to delay the info by classifying it.
74 posted on 11/11/2012 3:33:22 PM PST by tobyhill
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To: Rudder

Boehner is Speaker of the House.


75 posted on 11/11/2012 3:44:52 PM PST by Engedi
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To: tobyhill

Actually Petraeus was doomed when he agreed to Head the CIA under Obama. The way he was treated by the Dems, Pelosi you know the “Betraeus” article in NYT....How could this man work for Obama?


76 posted on 11/11/2012 3:51:40 PM PST by Engedi
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To: tobyhill
Call Petraeus behind closed doors, ask him straight out and then when Petraeus admits his role then request his resignation immediately. Giving it to the FBI only allowed them time to delay the info by classifying it.

There was already an outstanding FBI investigation. He didn't give anything to the FBI they didn't already know. The investigation was wrapping up by that time. So Cantor did the right thing. The WH will say they didn't make it public until after the FBI investigation was over.

The only thing left of interest to me is whether evidence of blackmail by the WH still exists. I doubt it. If there is no blackmail evidence then this story eventually dies away

77 posted on 11/11/2012 5:32:13 PM PST by plain talk
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To: conservaKate
The distinction is one of motives and to whom the information is directed.

Broadly, a whistle blower reports apparent or suspected wrong doing in an approved manner to an agency of government, usually for disinterested reasons, while a leaker provides information to the news media or someone else unapproved for the information in order to gain an advantage or promote a cause of one sort or another.

Since Cantor is a House leader, he is part of the Congressional oversight process and his informant was therefore a whistle blower, with Cantor then doing the correct thing and asking the FBI why Congress had not been informed of the Petraeus matter.

In practice though, going to the news media is often less risky than trusting government, and many frustrated whistle blowers end up sourcing stories for the new media.

78 posted on 11/11/2012 7:39:55 PM PST by Rockingham
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To: Rockingham

The distinction is one of motives and to whom the information is directed.

Broadly, a whistle blower reports apparent or suspected wrong doing in an approved manner to an agency of government, usually for disinterested reasons, while a leaker provides information to the news media or someone else unapproved for the information in order to gain an advantage or promote a cause of one sort or another.
______________________________________________________________

Thank you for your reasoned response. What you say makes sense. Guess I’m just too quick to draw conclusions about leakers/whistle blowers. But going to the right person w/ information makes sense. I’m not sure in this case why Cantor needed to know about an affair...but then I’m not sure we know everything there is to know about this incident...yet.


79 posted on 11/12/2012 6:29:44 AM PST by conservaKate (R got it wrong in 2012. We must get it right in 2014 & 2016.)
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To: conservaKate
Federal law specifies that those who make an unauthorized disclosure of a secret matter to a member of Congress are protected against retaliation and against penalties for a breach of secrecy requirements. This recognizes and accommodates Congressional oversight of the federal executive branch.

As to intelligence agencies especially, this is thought essential in order to remedy and prevent cover ups of abuses and lapses in mission. As for going to Cantor, the federal source probably knew that standard practice had been violated, not just as to the affair, but in the handling of it by the FBI and the Obama administration, including that Congressional leaders were not promptly informed.

My surmise is that the source to Cantor is a mid-ranking federal employee in the FBI or CIA who was alarmed at what was going on. Now though leaks are pouring out to the news media as the security agencies and senior officials scramble to protect themselves.

80 posted on 11/12/2012 6:56:56 AM PST by Rockingham
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