As Whistleblowers Jailed, David Petraeus Escapes Prison, Advises White House

"Democracy Now!" airs weekdays at 9 a.m. PT on KCET.

With prosecutions of whistleblowers like Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden, Thomas Drake, John Kiriakou, and several others, the Obama administration is by far the most aggressive in history when it comes to punishing leaks. But is there a double standard when it comes to who's punished and who walks free? That's the question being raised following a lenient plea deal for David Petraeus, the retired four-star general and former head of the CIA.

Unlike the others, Petraeus did not release information to expose perceived government wrongdoing. Instead, Petraeus gave classified material to his girlfriend, Paula Broadwell, who was writing his biography. Petraeus let Broadwell access his CIA email account and other sensitive material, including the names of covert operatives in Afghanistan, war strategies, and quotes from White House meetings.

Earlier this month, he reached a plea deal, admitting to one count of unauthorized removal and retention of classified information. Prosecutors will not seek prison time, but instead two years probation and a fine. He remains an administration insider, advising the White House on the war against ISIS.

"Democracy Now!" speaks to Jesselyn Radack, National Security & Human Rights director at the Government Accountability Project. A former ethics adviser to the U.S. Department of Justice, Radackis is the lawyer for Edward Snowden, Thomas Drake and John Kiriakou -- three whistleblowers all charged under the Espionage Act. She recently wrote an article for Foreign Policy magazine called "Petraeus, Snowden, and the Department of Two-Tiered Justice."