Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has decided there will be no additional action taken by the Defense Department against retired Gen. David Petraeus, according to a letter obtained by CNN on Saturday.
The letter was sent to Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Carter’s options had included demoting Petraeus from a four-star general to a three-star, which would have affected his retirement salary. This decision now clears Petraeus to continue to receive his full retirement benefits.
A Defense official confirmed the letter’s authenticity but declined to further elaborate on the decision.
The review had centered on Petraeus’s acknowledgment in court proceedings that he provided classified material to author Paula Broadwell, with whom he then had a personal relationship. As a retired four-star general, Petraeus remains liable for any wrongdoing he committed while on active duty.
