King: Widening Petraeus Scandal Is 'Greek Tragedy'

Rep. Peter King said on Tuesday that the love triangle at the center of the FBI probe into then CIA Director David Petraeus is “not the type of case” that rises to the level of a federal investigation and he called the still-unfolding scandal a “Greek tragedy.”

“Cyber harassment between two women, or between any two people, certainly involving a love triangle or whatever it was, should not rise to this level,” the New York congressman told host Matt Lauer on NBC’s “Today” show.

“Listen we’re in cyber wars with Iran and China, which is serious enough without putting personnel on something like this.” said King, who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee.

King also continued to press for answers as to why the FBI apparently failed to notify President Barack Obama that it was investigating the director of the CIA at the outset of its probe.

“Once his name came up as head of the CIA and he was being investigated by the FBI in a potential, or possible sex scandal, they had the absolute obligation to tell the president because General Petraeus was representing the United States in various countries around the world,” said King, He was on a number of missions, negotiating very sensitive arrangements."

Pressed by Lauer if he could think of “any good reason” why the FBI would wait until last week to inform the president of its investigation, and until Petraeus resigned on Friday to inform key members of relevant House and Senate committees, King said the agency's conduct was “absolutely inexcusable."

"Any time something comes close to an investigation of the CIA, the committee chairmen and ranking members are supposed to be notified, and for good reason, not for ego and not for turf battles, but so we know what’s going on if we’re going to effectively monitor the CIA,” he said.

Petraeus stepped down as head of the CIA following revelations of an extramarital affair.

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta on Monday said that Petraeus “took the right step” in resigning as CIA director based on revelations of the affair.

“I think it’s important when you’re director of the CIA, with all of the challenges that face you in that position, that personal integrity comes first and foremost," he said aboard a military flight to Australia.