After possibly facing prison, General David Petraeus has pleaded guilty to improperly handling classified material. The plea deal is expected to enable him to avoid a trial, which is sure to be embarrassing, and a prison term.

Gen. Petraeus had been chief of the CIA and also had been in charge of military forces in Iraq and in Afghanistan. At one point, he was looked at as a possible candidate for the presidency of the United States.

Petraeus kept several “black books” while in the CIA. These notebooks contained his notes about various things pertaining to his office, including names of covert agents, war strategies, notes from national meetings and meetings with the President, and code words.

The charges against him involve the retaining of classified documents in his private possession and passing at least some of them on to another individual who did not have the proper clearance. Paula Broadwell, a biographer and lover, was given access to these materials as she wrote a biography about the General. He was the Director of the CIA at the time and later resigned on Nov. 9, 2012.

His first problem came when it was revealed that he was having an affair with Paula. She was a mother of two and had been an officer. Then, there were questions about the classified information. When asked if he shared it with her, Petraeus denied having the material, and he denied having given them to Paula.

The FBI later searched his home and discovered the black notebooks. They were found in a study on the first floor and in a drawer that was unlocked.

The plea deal provides a recommendation of a $40,000 fine and a probation period of two years. The judge is not obligated to follow the recommendations.

Petraeus was given the position of commander of the U.S. Central Command after General McChrystal was fired, which happened in 2010. President George W. Bush promoted him to the position. He has a Ph.D. and has been respected as a military strategist.