Top Obama administration officials continue to consult with disgraced former CIA Director David Petraeus about how to fight the ISIS terror army, even though he has admitted giving classified material to his biographer and mistress. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest admitted to reporters on Monday that Petraeus, the architect of President George W. Bush's Iraq 'surge' operation, is still on speed dial despite reaching a plea deal with federal prosecutors. 'He is, I think, legitimately regarded as an expert, when it comes to the security situation in Iraq," Earnest said during a press briefing. 'So I think it makes a lot of sense for senior administration officials to, on occasion, consult for him advice.' SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . TOO IMPORTANT TO FAIL? Josh Earnest told journalists on Monday that administration officials were still consulting with disgraced former CIA chief David Petraeus about fighting the ISIS terror army in Iraq . AFFAIR: Petraeus will plead guilty to a charge of unauthorized removal and retention of classified information after he handed over sensitive material to his mistress, Paula Broadwell, right . Earnest defended the decision by noting that Petraeus – who no longer has a CIA security clearance, according to Newsweek – nonetheless has kept up his strong relationships with military and political leaders in Iraq. 'Obviously, General Petraeus is somebody who served for a number of years in Iraq,' the president's chief spokesman said. 'He commanded a large number of American military personnel in that country. Over that time, he developed strong relationships with some of his Iraqi counterparts and with some of Iraq's political leaders.' Iraq is one of the two countries – Syria is the other – where ISIS, the self-anointed Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, has managed to run roughshod over government armies and claim territory since the Obama administration pulled American troops out at the end of 2011. A retired four-star general, Petraeus' storied career suffered a major blow from revelations he gave the biographer, Paula Broadwell, eight binders of classified material he had kept improperly. Documents filed in federal court state that between August 2011 and April 5, 2013, Petraeus did 'unlawfully and knowingly' take classified materials and retain them at 'unauthorized' locations. In one August 2011 taped biographical interview with Broadwell that prosecutors used against Petraeus, he can be heard saying of papers in front of them both: 'They're really – I mean they are highly classified, some of them. They don’t have ["top secret"] on it, but, I mean there’s "code word" stuff in there.' Prosecutors say he gave her classified binders, called 'black books,' which included notes about his discussions with President Obama. He left the books with her so she could use them as source material for the biography, prosecutors said. Days later, Petraeus brought the books back to his home in Arlington, Virginia. The FBI later seized the materials in a search of Petraeus' home. He later lied to FBI agents about providing them to Broadwell and said he never gave her classified material, according to court documents. In late August 2011, he took the books to the home where Broadwell was staying during a week-long trip to Washington, D.C., according to the documents. The 62-year-old agreed on February 22 to plead guilty to a misdemeanor count that carries a possible sentence of up to a year in prison. But he is expected to get two years of probation and a $40,000 fine. The plea agreement was filed in federal court on March 3. Petraeus is expected to be in federal court next on April 27 for a hearing on the deal. Earnest was asked if any special security precautions were being taken because of Petraeus' legal situation. 'Not that I'm aware of,' he replied. The federal judge who will sentence Petraeus later this year is not bound by federal prosecutors' recommendations and could make a decision to send Petraeus to prison. By reaching a deal with the government, Petraeus will avoid an embarrassing trial that would detail his relationship with Paula Broadwell. He stepped down as head of the CIA after their affair emerged in November 2012. Hurt: Paula Broadwell remains married to husband Scott, pictured together left in 2012, while Petraeus is married to wife Holly, right, despite the affair that forced him to step down as CIA chief in 2012 . Scandal: The affair was revealed after Florida socialite Jill Kelley, pictured, contacted the FBI over threatening emails she had received. It emerged that Broadwell had sent the emails . Petraeus, a four-star general who served as commander of the U.S. Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, resigned from the CIA in 2012 when the affair emerged but always denied criminal wrongdoing. Broadwell, now 42, met Petraeus, 62, while she was a graduate student at Harvard University, where she was working on a dissertation about him. She wrote his biography, 'All In: The Education of General David Petraeus', which afforded them considerable time together. They carried on an affair between late 2011 and the summer of 2012. But the relationship was later uncovered whiled the FBI investigated claims that one of Petraeus' friends, Florida socialite Jill Kelley, was receiving threatening emails. The messages were found to have been sent by Broadwell, a married mother-of-two. As agents investigated Broadwell's email account, they uncovered the affair and learned the CIA director had shared classified information with her. Petraeus, who remains married to wife Holly, acknowledged the affair as he stepped down. In May 2013, Broadwell, who is also still married, finally issued an apology for the affair. 'I have remorse for the harm that this has caused, the sadness it has caused my family and other families,' she told her local station, WSOC. 'I'm very blessed. Blessed with an awesome family, a wonderful community that's been a great part of my rehabilitation, if you will. Even when you've made mistakes in life you can still contribute and pick up the stuff and move on.' Petraeus was a celebrated general who was credited with helping pull Iraq from the brink of an all-out civil war. President Barack Obama turned to him to lead U.S. forces in Afghanistan before moving to him to the CIA in 2011.
Top Obama administration officials are still seeking Petraeus' advice about Middle East terrorism even though he has agreed to plead guilty . 'I think it makes a lot of sense,' the White House press secretary said . Petraeus reached a plea deadl, admitting he left notebooks containing classified information with his biographer and mistress Paula Broadwell . No prison time expected but a $40,000 fine and two years probation; a judge could decide to ignore sentencing recommendations . Petraeus had an affair with Broadwell between late 2011 and summer 2012, and stepped down from the CIA after the relationship became public .