Retired Army Gen. David Petraeus issued an extraordinary public apology to Congress on Tuesday for sharing classified information with his biographer and mistress, saying it was a "violation of trust."

Petraeus appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee to discuss the Middle East, in his first public testimony to lawmakers since resigning as CIA director. He started by addressing what led to his resignation.

"Four years ago, I made a serious mistake -- one that brought discredit on me and pain to those closest to me," Petraeus said, of sharing information with mistress Paula Broadwell. "It was a violation of the trust placed in me and a breach of the values to which I had been committed throughout my life."

Petraeus said he cannot "undo" what he did. "I can only say again how sorry I am to those I let down and then strive to go forward with a greater sense of humility and purpose, and with gratitude to those who stood with me during a very difficult chapter in my life."

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/09/22/petraeus-apologizes-hill-appearance/?intcmp=hpbt1