The Pentagon is considering a new and improved punishment for ‘misbehaving generals’ like David Petraeus — retroactive demotion. In addition to stripping officers of their hard-won ranks, these demotions would also strike at their wallets.

Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter hinted in an interview with The Daily Beast that the Pentagon may demote controversial four-star general David Petraeus in an effort to “clamp down on misbehaving generals.”

“The secretary is considering going in a different direction” from the Army, a defense official told The Daily Beast, because he wants to be consistent in his treatment of senior officers who engage in misconduct and to send a message that even men of Petraeus’s fame and esteemed reputation are not immune to punishment.

Petraeus’ illustrious military and political career came to an abrupt end after he was exposed for passing classified information to his biographer and mistress in 2012. He publicly apologized for the scandal in Sept. 2015, and the Army announced that it would not recommend any further punishment for Petraeus’ actions in Dec.

 

Petraeus’ rank would mostly likely to demoted to lieutenant general. It may seem like moving one highly-ranked officer to a slightly lower rank isn’t that much of a punishment, but a retroactive demotion can have huge financial repercussions. If demoted, Petraeus would have to pay back the difference in pension payments that he received as a four-star general.

According to the Daily Beast, Carter is setting his sights on Petraeus only to establish a precedent among all generals who think they are too high-ranking to be held accountable.

But Carter is said to be concerned that because he has recommended other generals be reduced in rank for actions not becoming an officer, he’ll be seen as inconsistent if he doesn’t do the same for Petraeus. The decision is as much about timing and politics as it is Petraeus’s own transgressions.

“This is about Ash Carter, not David Petraeus,” the defense official said.