E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSOfficials say that thousands of emails between General John Allen and Florida socialite Jill Kelley are flirtatious, but the general denies a relationship. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.
Updated 4 p.m. ET: Allegedly “inappropriate” emails between U.S. Gen. John Allen and the woman who sparked the investigation into CIA Director David Petraeus do not signify the two had an affair, a defense official told NBC News on Tuesday.
“There was no affair,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The emails in question could be misconstrued, the official said, predicting that the investigation will prove Allen’s innocence.
Allen, the commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, is under investigation over allegations that he exchanged “inappropriate” emails with Jill Kelley, a senior defense official told reporters earlier Tuesday.
A difference of opinion appeared to be brewing at the Pentagon about how to characterize the emails, with another official calling them flirtatious.
Kelley, a Tampa, Fla., woman who has acted as a volunteer “social liaison” with military officials at MacDill Air Force Base, inadvertently launched the investigation that led to Petraeus’ resignation by complaining to the FBI about anonymous emails she received. FBI agents traced the allegedly threatening emails to Paula Broadwell, Petraeus' biographer.
Emails on 'coming and goings' of Petraeus, other military officials escalated FBI concerns
During the investigation, agents discovered emails between Petraeus and Broadwell that were indicative of an extramarital affair between them, according to government and law enforcement officials.
Petraeus, who was appointed 14 months ago to head the Central Intelligence Agency, announced his resignation on Friday, citing an extramarital affair.
Word of the investigation into Gen. Allen’s involvement came early Tuesday, when U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta issued a statement during a flight to Australia for a meeting with defense officials there, saying that the FBI had referred “a matter involving" Allen to the Department of Defense's Inspector General.
Those who know the two women at the center of General David Petraeus' affair scandal are speaking out. Jill Kelley's brother says she is "dedicated" to her husband, while Paula Broadwell's friend calls her "a pretty great person." NBC's Kristen Welker reports.
“Today, the secretary directed that the matter be referred to the Inspector General of the Department of Defense for investigation, and it is now in the hands of the Inspector General,” Panetta said.
Panetta’s statement did not include specifics, but a senior defense official traveling with him told reporters that Allen “was under investigation for “inappropriate communications” with Kelley.
The official also said the investigation involved some 20,000 to 30,000 pages of material, mostly emails, which were sent from 2010 to 2012, adding that Allen “disputes that he has engaged in any wrongdoing in this matter.”
Later in the day, however, a defense official at the Pentagon told NBC News that the number of emails between Allen and Kelley was inflated.
The FBI eventually discovered that the emails received by Jill Kelley, a close friend of the Petraeus family, were sent by Paula Broadwell. And as they dug deeper, the affair between Broadwell and Petraeus came to light. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.
"That is a mischaracterization," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "The communications with General Allen were lumped in with a lot of other email traffic."
The official said that the Allens and Kelleys were "family friends," and the emails were written in that manner. Many of the emails were not personal communications between the general and Jill Kelley, the official added, but included Allen's wife. And many were between Allen's wife and Jill Kelley, with General Allen just copied, the official said.
"What we're dealing with is the possible perception of inappropriateness," the official said, but it will become clear that there was no wrongdoing. "This is not at the level of the director of the CIA."
According to a senior U.S. military official, Pentagon General Counsel Jeh Johnson read "a number" of the emails between Allen and Kelley before he advised Panetta to refer the matter to the Inspector General.
"Leon Panetta didn't make this decision lightly," the official said late Tuesday. The emails were more than just calling one another "sweetheart," characterizing them as flirtatious, the official said.
While the emails may not prove an affair or even be inappropriate, they were unprofessional, the official said.
Allen will meet with investigators over the next few days, but then he is expected to head back to Afghanistan to continue in his role as Commander of ISAF, according to the official.
Panetta’s statement said that Allen would remain commander of ISAF during the investigation and that he was “entitled to due process in this matter.”
But Allen’s nomination to take over as head of U.S. forces in Europe and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, was put on hold “until the relevant facts are determined,” Panetta said.
ISAF via Reuters file
Meet the people who have been pulled into the scandal that caused Gen. David Petraeus to resign.
Allen was in Washington, D.C., preparing for his Senate confirmation hearings which were originally scheduled for Thursday, NBC News reported.
Allen had no advance warning about the investigation, a close aide of Allen’s told NBC News. He was alerted to the probe by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey Monday night ET. Allen had a number of meetings scheduled for Tuesday on Capitol Hill, although the aide was unsure if they would take place.
Allen’s connection to the Petraeus investigation also seems to have caught the Defense Department off guard.
“This came as very surprising news, to say the least. No one in the Pentagon is leaping to conclusions just yet,” a senior defense official traveling with Panetta told NBC News. “It's important to review the materials to determine the facts, and it's too early speculate about where this will lead. In the meantime, Gen. Allen needs to focus on the war effort, which he's successfully led since last year.”
The ISAF was also unaware of the investigation until late Monday or early Tuesday, and it declined to comment, in a written statement, referring all questions to the Defense Department.
Allen, a highly decorated officer, took over as ISAF commander in July 2011, and was nominated on Oct. 10 to take over as NATO commander, the same time that his successor at the ISAF was named as Gen. Joseph Dunford.
The confirmation of Dunford, currently assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, is now expected to be fast tracked.
“The secretary has respectfully requested that the Senate act promptly on that nomination," Panetta’s statement said.
NBC News' Courtney Kube, Jeff Black, Ian Johnston and Rachel Elbaum contributed to this report.
Some members of Congress are saying that they or, at the least President Obama, should have been told about the investigation into the director of the CIA while it was going on. NBC's Pete Williams reports.
Related content from NBCNews.com:
- Emails on 'coming and goings' of military officials escalated FBI concerns
- Sen. Feinstein: 'We will need to talk to David Petraeus' about Benghazi
- Video: FBI agent search Broadwell's home
- CIA Director David Petraeus resigns, cites extramarital affair
- Video: Petraeus' stunning fall from grace
- Petraeus' biographer under FBI investigation over access to his email, officials say
- David Petraeus a battlefield 'hero' and savvy Washington insider
- Video: A ‘painful’ admission from Petraeus
Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook
Leave a Comment:
Gee , i hope they don't claim Executive Privilege.. Because, I know you want to support the President in getting the Terrorists in Libya -- and I'm sure that is why you want to know all the details of Bengahzi. Tell me I'm right.?
And since it's likely that the Libyan Embassy was being used by CIA agents in order to round up Terrorists enemies of America and to collect dangerous Weapons getting them out of the hands of the enemies of the U.S. -- I'm sure that for yourself and Fox News.. the most important thing in the world is that we reveal these Black Ops possibilities to the our enemies in the Arab World.
No.. i hope they don't claim Executive Privilege and open up all the secrets of the CIA to our enemies in Egypt and Libya.. since that is what you want.. seeing as you love this country that much.
I DO NOT understand why this is news. If they have determined that there were no security breaches, then that ought to be the end of the story. The infidelities of these people and their spouses is completely irrelevant and we need to STOP trying to legislate morality.
Okay, fair enough. Why DID General Petraeus specifically mention his affair in his statement? Why didn't he just leave it at "personal reasons?" Sure, someone would have blabbed...but why did HE?
Because of the way it came out, plus timing. Only 2 days after the election, even though thecFBI and Holder knew months prior.
Obama knows nothing! RIGHT!!!
Inconclusive Investigations by the Justice Department are meant to remain secret from the White House as a Constitutional firewall ..but I know your main intention in this negative stories (and ALL negative stories regarding the U.S.) is to pin something negative on President Obama.. it's pretty disgusting.
Boy, some people are stupid according to circumstances. But you're stupid everywhere you go. What are you, one of those racist hicks so beloved of the GOP?
Axelrod is a genius.. as he helped the President win an Electoral landslide election.. against the money-machine of Mitt Romney - The same Romney who collected large donations from Corporations and the rich by 4-to-1 compared to Obama.. Axelrod's campaign also overcame the Right-Wing Republican's extensive efforts at Democratic Voter Suppression.. and also President Obama won 69% of the Jewish vote without pandering to Israel (as Mitt Romney did.)
David Axelrod is pretty awesome in my book -- and yeah, he's a stand-up guy -- especially compared to the prevaricators who were supporting The Lying-Flip-Flopper Mitt Romney.
No. It just indicates your ignorance of the facts.
Let me drop amid the swamp of irrelevance and stupidity a story worth attention:
http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/13/15140852-fda-wanted-to-close-mass-pharmacy-in-2002-report-says?threadId=3610089&commentId=71925372#c71925372
The woman in Tampa owes everybody. No big secret here. If she suddenly comes into a ton of money, you have to wonder..........or not. Fox News would easily pay $millions$ and she's better looking that Sarah anyway..........
John Kerry for Sec Def.....Ha-ha, that's even more priceless
president that kicked the GOPs ass twice is more like it.cry me a river you lost,go play in the traffic.
There will be 12 million new jobs created over the next 4 years.. that will be his legacy.. saving the U.S. Economy (from certain Republican caused ruin..) will be his legacy.
The Trouble with Trouble is he's fixated on Obama for some reason. Wonder Why?
I might believe Condy Rice.
Yeah.. Condi Rice.. did a great job of helping lie us into the Iraq War.. I think that would be a fantastic choice.. (not).
no matter the rank they are still all men are they not? and its only about sex, ''secrets exposed''? what secrets? how to mismanage a war that lasts for 12 years wrecks the economy and wins nothing? some secrets.
Even if the number of emails was less than a thousand, for a general running a war it would seem that Allen had a lot of free time on his hands.
he wasnt ''running a war'' he was simply keeping it going for the war profiteers and wall street.
Hey people...20,000 to 30,000 emails from General Allen to Jill? That has to be raising some eyebrows. If anyone is NOT considering espionage, then they need to watch a few James Bond movies. My guess is both generals were bed buddies with Jill and she wanted something in return for her favors. Of course, they may have been sharing recipes, but does anyone really believe that? We need an in-depth investigation of this entire affair and let the chips fall where they may.
It must have been a spam -email Bot using his computer lol.
Our heroes are dying in Afghanistan, and this general who is in charge of them had time for thousands of pages of flirtatious emails? Who the hell is running our military and government anyways? Jackasses, that's who.
Hmmm.. who got us into that war..?? oh yeah.. ENOUGH with selfish Republicans.. (newflash) Patraeus is a REPUBLICAN LOL).
Who cares what Party he belongs to. . .he is a jerk,he should have divorced his Wife if he wanted to mess around,instead he messed up his marriage,family life,extended and shared friends and family ect As well as these married women and their family's ,it's just sad all around,And why the hell does the left jump on people who post a comment and if they don't like it they just accuse Republicans for why its not sunny and 80*daily...AS IN:I Know that happened but what about when such and such happened 10-30 yrs ago...lets take care of NOW,Maybe there were not enough people to give a crap back then,But we can sure as Hell start now ! Demand a REAL TRANSPARENT Government as well as those running it,and hold these guys accountable,we have the right to ask Questions and get REAL answers not spin,lies,deflection and smokescreens,We are all tired of it.
Ok, so now people's careers are going to be ruined over "unprofessional" e-mail correspondence? Really? And who is gets to decide what constitutes "unprofessional"? Whereas I am disappointed that such highly regarded military geniuses didn't use better judgement about their personal lives, I think this fiasco has just about played itself out.
Once again.. it's weird that some chick can call an FBI agent and say she is being harassed by email.. (how many girls have email stalkers in this country? .. can they also call on a shirtless FBI agent to answer their call and respond with action?) then this irresponsible FBI Agent runs to one of the most anti-Obama and most divisive Republicans in all of Congress ..aka one Mr. Eric Cantor and gives him the information. Why Eric Cantor??
And why is the FBI investigating the love-life of the director of the C.I.A anyway? That's what I would like to know.. if you want to go ga-ga over conspiracy theories .. that is those are the one's I want investigated.
"Kelley, a Tampa, Fla., woman who has acted as a volunteer “social liaison” with military officials at MacDill Air Force Base"
social liason = whore?...if prominent politicians have them why shouldn't the generals!
"Mata Hari"------I wonder whether these women are in the employ of the Iranians or the Chinese??
No wonder we are doing so badly in these countries---the general staff are copulating while our troops get no support-------it is a disgrace!!------30,000 emails "but there was no sex!!"---------"I have a bridge for sale!!"---ever heard that old saying---"were there is smoke, there is fire!!"
As reported in this article : "Jill Kelley, a Tampa, Fla., woman who has acted as a volunteer “social liaison” with military officials at MacDill Air Force Base" ......
Where I grew up next to a large Military Base, these people were known simply as whores or POW (Prostitute On Wheels), they were volunteers enabling them to get access to their future clients.......... As involved, additionally there are many honest people in the U.S. Government; the FBI, however in Central Florida, check the records, you will be very surprised: a 98 % + - Conviction Rate whether guilty or innocent.
As but one example, from memory: Check to see how a person named Davis was entrapped illegally, and only because he had the money to defend himself through Frank Rubino, an Attorney who has done many defenses; the fraud of the Government was exposed, and this man was released. Hundreds, probably thousands of people do not have the money to fight the U.S. Government when illegally detained., and many times are forced to do "Plea Deals" though innocent............. General Petraeus and General Allen are now finding what really happens in the real world; where they are actually facing being imprisoned.............
For the FBI withheld information that may have saved many people on 9/11. check with people named Aponte, Geraldo, Parks, Beasley, Fisher, etc. - The FBI conspiring with the Federal Court System will literally attempt to personally enrich themselves, and ruin people.....Check the radical Nazi group - a person named Haar, or the radical Islam group - a person named Mahmoud Alzarhooshang and the millions and possibly billions of dollars plus American lives, that they have cost the American people.
I may not be putting a post on this page in the future, for standard operating procedure as known, is for the FBI to use false information and get a Federal indictment against a person; where the innocent person is literally put into a Federal Prison for much of their life. - By writing this, my life means very little of course, but helps if corruption can be rooted to help other people, even General Petraeus or General Allen............. Good Luck to all in our Modern World of today.
Riley, as much as we appreciate you putting your life in danger to bring us the truth, are you telling us you've never heard of the "Tinfoil Hat"?
The liberals will try to convince you you're crazy, but if you wear one of these remarkable hats it really will protect you. Although you seem to have more sensitive information than most, so I'd have to seriously recommend the new Titanium hat. It filters out much more bandwidth, and, for the moment at least, the FBI is powerless against it. Just make sure you get the one lined with teabags, it's more comfortable.
Keep up the good fight! We're depending on you!
"Social Liason' sounds like a similar position as that held by Hollywood Madam Heidi Fleiss
So..... after the election, is this the only new news the media has to offer??
military and whores! why should this surprise anyone....after Iraq war #1 many US forces came thru Thailand for R&R...remember reading the local papers and saying ..if this was reprinted in the US there would be hell to pay from their wives back home...Thailand had to import several thousand prostitutes because there was not enough prostitutes in Thailand to "service" the armed forces on leave!
all militaries not just the USA forces have a long history of requiring the services of whores and prostitutes!
The news media has it right, All America is interested in is SEX. Look at all the comments. As far as the disposal of high ranking military Look at history, Stalin almost lost to Hitler because of the same. In the case of the U.S. we don't try to win wars after WWII, we just try Police action. Lets hope that China is a paper tiger, they still have their Generals.
It's time that Obama picks minority or black Generals like Colin Powell for the Cabinet positions.
White Generals have no morals. Most White people in general have no morals since that 60% of them voted for Romney. What a disgrace!
It's good that white people are becoming more and more irrelevant in society.
really, you're going to make this a race thing? you sound as ignorant... even more so - then the type of person you're trying to condemn. shame on you.
To..trouble"""
No you'll never know where MSNBC stands
You've been blinded by the right
this needs to NOT be a top headline.
Credible and intelligent people are going on and on about how we need to quit the divided culture we have in this country and unite... yet we are letting soap opera love affair stuff be the top story at the moment?
This is a private matter between the involved parties and their wives/husbands - it shouldn't be in the news and distracting us from more important stories out there.
Funny how everyone demands that anyone caught having an affair resign his high profile position ....... except for Bill Clinton.
did Bill have an affair? thought he was just smoking his cigar and enjoying the stress reduction from an over zealous aide...besides Hillary has had him by the balls ever since! and Petraous wife will have him by the balls for the rest of his days!
uh, did you forget your US history?... Clinton was IMPEACHED because of it.
which is still MIND-F'n-BLOWING to me.