Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said she does not think there's any connection between the resignation of CIA Director David Petraeus and the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi that resulted in four dead.
"On the events in Benghazi and his resignation, absolutely not," Feinstein said on Fox News Sunday when asked about a possible link. "And I think if you really think this thing out everybody will come to that same conclusion."
Feinstein's comments come two days after Petraeus announced that he would be stepping down from the top job at the CIA citing an extramarital affair. The events that led to Petraeus's resignation
began with the FBI investigating a complaint about harassing emails sent to a woman close to Petraeus. The emails were traced to Paula Broadwell, also Petraeus's biographer, and FBI agents discovered that the two were having an affair.
Petraeus had been slated to testify before the House Homeland Security Committee on the Benghazi attack and Chairman Peter King (R-N.Y.) has said he would still expect the former director to answer questions about the incident.
Republicans have questioned whether the American Consulate received adequate security and if Washington ignored signs that he installation was under threat.
Feinstein on Sunday said that she believed Petraeus "did the right thing," in deciding to stand down.
"I think the president had no choice but to accept the resignation," she added.
The California senator was also asked whether she thought the Obama administration revised its explanation of the attack on the Benghazi consulate for political reasons.
"I don't think it had anything to do with politics," Feinstein said. "I do think it had something to do with our assessment."
The administration initially blamed the attack on spontaneous anti-American protests sparked by a film critical of Islam, later amending their narrative to characterize the assault as preplanned.
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