Fox News revived the baseless conspiracy theory that the nearly three-year old federal investigation into former CIA director David Petraeus is an attempt by the Obama administration to silence Petraeus on the 2012 Benghazi attacks.

The New York Times reported on January 9 that the FBI and Justice Department prosecutors recommended federal charges against former CIA director David H. Petraeus for providing “classified information to a lover while he was director of the C.I.A.” Petraeus subsequently resigned as director of the CIA after his affair was made public.  

But on the January 12 edition of Fox News' Special Report, chief intelligence correspondent Catherine Herridge lent credibility to GOP concerns that the federal investigation into David Petraeus is an attempt by the Obama administration to silence Petraeus' testimony on the 2012 Benghazi, Libya terrorist attacks. 

The segment also included a statement from Thomas Dupree, former deputy assistant attorney general under George W. Bush, who explained that “just being quiet, staying mum, invoking your Fifth Amendment rights,” while being charged with a felony “could be the safest course.” Herridge ended her report noting that the GOP-led Benghazi select committee still hopes to call Petraeus as a witness in their investigation.

In 2012, Fox repeatedly pushed the baseless accusation that Petraeus was “being blackmailed by the White house to toe the company line.” Fox's smear was parroted by radio host Rush Limbaugh who speculated that Petraeus resigned to escape an attempt by the Obama administration to manipulate him into lying about the Benghazi attack.

The imaginary scandal was later denounced on Fox News, when Fox's Geraldo Rivera called it “absolutely reckless,” and pointed out that Petraeus himself cited his extramarital affair as the reason for his resignation.