Former Army General and CIA director David Petraeus worked out one hell of a sweetheart plea deal with the Justice Department, despite his admittance that he gave then-girlfriend Paula Broadwell classified national secrets in order to help her write his biography. The ultimate in narcissism and the opposite of patriotism. Petraeus clearly only asked what his country could do for him – and in his estimation, that was help sell books. From the Intercept:

According to the plea deal, Petraeus, while leading American forces in Afghanistan, maintained eight notebooks that he filled with highly-sensitive information about the identities of covert officers, military strategy, intelligence capabilities and his discussions with senior government officials, including President Obama. Rather than handing over these “Black Books,” as the plea agreement calls them, to the Department of Defense when he retired from the military in 2011 to head the CIA, Petraeus retained them at his home and lent them, for several days, to Paula Broadwell, his authorized biographer and girlfriend.

Despite these incredibly damning transgressions – transgressions that would have landed me, you and all of our friends and neighbors in jail or worse, Petraeus received two years of probation and a fine.

Under his deal with prosecutors, Petraeus pleaded guilty to just one count of unauthorized removal and retention of classified information, a misdemeanor that can be punishable by a year in jail, though the deal calls only for probation and a $40,000 fine. As The New York Times noted today, the deal “allows Mr. Petraeus to focus on his lucrative post-government career as a partner in a private equity firm and a worldwide speaker on national security issues.”

As the Intercept succinctly puts it: “it all but confirms a two-tier justice system in which senior officials are slapped on the wrist for serious violations while lesser officials are harshly prosecuted for relatively minor infractions.” They include examples of this in the story I’ve quoted.

The princely favorites and insiders in the government escape punishment, meanwhile Edward Snowden, a man who is a hero for exposing unconstitutional spying procedures (among other things) that impact every American and millions abroad, faces a litany of charges should he ever return to the U.S.

Snowden’s lawyers have taken note. From US News:

“Snowden would be amenable to coming back to the United States for the kind of plea bargain that Gen. Petraeus received,” Jesselyn Radack, an attorney for Snowden who works at the Government Accountability Project, told Politico Tuesday. Another attorney for Snowden, Ben Wizner, who has worked on thus-far unsuccessful negotiations with the government, tells U.S. News the apparent motivation for generosity in the Petraeus case should apply to his client. “If Petraeus deserves exceptional treatment because of his service to the nation, then surely the same exception should be offered to Edward Snowden, whose actions have led to a historic global debate that will strengthen free societies,” Wizner says. But Wizner, who directs the American Civil Liberties Union’s Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, isn’t optimistic that will happen. “The problem is that leniency is only extended to officials with friends in high places,” he says.

The US News piece also quotes Sen. Diane Feinstein who says of Petraeus, “He made a mistake,” Feinstein said. “He lost his job as CIA director because of it. I mean, how much do you want to punish somebody? It’s done. It’s over. He’s retired. He’s lost his job. How much does [the] government want?”

Petraeus suffered enough? From where, his penthouse suite? His massive home? Edward Snowden had to flee the country and was separated from every friend and relative he ever knew. He (obviously) lost his job. And he risked more than Petraeus, for a cause that wasn’t about him and selling hardcopy masturbatory books about himself – it was to reveal a massive wrong that was being perpetrated on the American people. But Edward hasn’t suffered enough, I suppose.

This is utterly disgusting – cronyism, nepotism, old boys club, and every other cliche about those with friends in power applies here. It’s a sickening indictment of the U.S. government and the justice system.

Here’s hoping public opinion and lawmakers with conscience force the government to give Snowden a deal that represents the good he has done for the people of this country.

Liberty Links!

– Conan O’Brien goes to Cuba.

– Koch Bros sign letter to Supreme Court urging legalization of gay marriage.

– AZ senate committee passes bill to legalize gold & silver tender.

– Disgusting Baton Rouge cops make float mocking woman raped by father as a girl.

– Reason Mag- Netanyahu’s impossible dream.

The Lions of Liberty are on Twitter, Facebook & Google+

Receive access to ALL of our EXCLUSIVE bonus audio content – including “Conspiracy Corner”, “Degenerate Gamblers” and the “League of Liberty Podcast” by joining the Lions of Liberty Pride and supporting us on Patreon!

Join our brand new Facebook Group: The Lions of Liberty Forum