Tony Shaffer: Bergdahl Being Asked to Cop a Plea

Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is being asked to plead to a charge to avoid a lengthy trial that might embarrass the Obama administration, retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer told Fox News.

Shaffer had previously predicted Bergdahl would be charged with desertion by mid-March for walking away from his base in Afghanistan in 2009. But in an appearance on Fox News Channel's "The O'Reilly Factor" on Wednesday, Shaffer said prosecutors now are hoping to avoid a trial.

President Barack Obama came under criticism in 2014 when he traded for Taliban leaders held at Guantanamo Bay for Bergdahl. Some of his platoon mates accused Bergdahl of deserting his post.

Those Taliban members are being held in Qatar, but will be allowed to go free in May. That timing would look bad if Bergdahl were on trial at the same time, Shaffer told O'Reilly.

Bergdahl's legal team is resisting the call for a plea deal, Shaffer said, because they believe their client provided valuable intelligence to the Army during his debriefing once freed.

But Schaeffer said one official told him that Bergdahl's information could be described politely as "garbage."

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