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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
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Leave a Comment:
Why did Cantor dime Patraeus out anyway ...
As LONG as the mistress doesn't get book rights for this bull@!$%#, I don't really care...
Hey!
Maybe it's just me.
But I find this much to do about nothing ... other than another bullet for the LGBT community.
"Sanctity of marriage" - yeah - right.
whiz on this distraction. it's not news. what about benghazi???? what happened to cause the deaths of four, yes count them, four american officials dead. get real people, the real news is benghazi.
oh but that would require them to tell the truth.Never gonna happen.It is easier to sacrifice others so that the party can remain clean.
When there were 4 -- count them 4 THOUSAND deaths by the failings of the Republican Bush Adminstration on 9/11-- Americans rallied around the President and wanted to attack terrorists (Holding investigations on the intelligence failings of 9/11 later when it was appropriate)-- these UN-American Republicans instead want to attack the President and let the terrorists go.
They are enemies of the state -- and aiding the Terrorists.
Depressing isn't it. Top minds in the military, and some not so top in the FBI, and probably many others we don't even know about, haven't learned or figured out, in spite of the tons of evidence in existence for years now, that if there is something you are doing that you wouldn't want to the world to know about, or something that if it is found somehow will get your ass in a sling, DON'T PUT IT IN AN EMAIL!!!!
Think about this. These are the people we are trusting to protect us. And for all intents and purposes, they're clueless.
Maybe, just maybe, the reason we're not doing so well in the Middle East and elsewhere is because in spite of what we're being told we really don't have the best minds making the decisions.
If certain politicians want to get rid of a few people,why are they going so slow with it? Joe Stalin has already shown them how to quickly purge their enemies back in the 30's.
Sadly, since the days of J. Edgar Hoover the FBI's legacy has been one of using sex scandals in order to try and bring down powerful and/or popular American Figures. Hoover kept secret sexual files on the various affairs of JFK, Robert F. Kennedy. Eleanor Roosevelt and Dr. Martin Luther Kingl.
The FBI's Hoover hoping to use these great Americans weakness for sex against them hoping to gain political advantage by means of BLACKMAIL -- this affair of Patraeus and the director of the CIA being outed by the FBI using sex is standard FBI operating procedure.
The Gay Cross-Dressing Republican J. Edgar Hoover set the FBI standards which obviously continue on to this very day.
It's embarrassing (and sad) to me.. that America has to lose a leader like General David Patraeus simply because he had an affair with an attractive and sexy Cougar (aka Broadwell) .. this SHOULD be a problem for Patraeus and his wife.. instead the FBI and the media have made it a problem for America's greater Foriegn Policy objectives.
European the rest of the world laughs are our backwards/mis-placed priorities and Puritanical two-faced nature.
now we know why women made for some of the best spys and sabateurs during ww2.
Holy S#@n man! I'm signing up for the US military, if I was 60+ and had younger, exotic hotties 20 years younger than me such as Broadwell/Kelly hitting on me, this daddy would be banging em too :) no offense but the ego needs to be stroked... Where do I sign up?
I agree, 1000% Percent
If the repubics keep pushing the BBenghazi crap I am sure Holder in company will release more information on Senators and House Representatives. They probably know who is zooming who in the Washington circles. I would be very careful if I were one of the rethuglicans. They may be sending a message don't f%&k with us are you will pay. Let's see if the repubics keep pushing the president on Benghazi. If the rethuglicans back off then we know the Obama team hit a nerve. The republicans have to learn that Obama is know one to mess with he plays hard ball just ask OBL.
some people would just like to know what really went on over there and how the government is going to respond.As for name unwarrented name calling,it is bad enough this country has enough troubles as it is with you stirring things up a little more.I personally recognise Democrats as a legit political party but you fall under the Nazicrat side of the party.Did'nt like that? well too bad.One good turn deserves another.
Back in the day.. powerful men like Dwight D. Eisenhower.. were able to have their affairs in private and still able to do their jobs (without being impeached) but now.. now.. fast forward and..
It WAS the Republicans who first broke the Gentleman's agreement between men of Power .. that an individuals personal vices would not be used to crucify him in his job in public.
The Repubs first broke the silent Gentleman's agreement when they went after Bill Clinton on Monica Lewinsky.. when their many and various witch-hunt investigations against Clinton all came up empty.. (the vast Right-Wnig conspiracy) -- meanwhile the Republicans kept bringing down powerful and promising Dems on Sex when they later went after Eliot Spitzer on his love of a prostitute --
Which is why we now have stories of pious Republicans holding a wide-stance over a toilet signalling that he is looking for gay sex.
I won't be surprised if Obama administration starts releasing the dirty personal secrets of the various Republicans in Congress.. (I think he should) as the Republican party have taken the political fights down to these seedy levels
The fights should be over public policy... not private pillow talk - but there it is.. and they started it.. so it should be appropriate that Republicans (like Gen. Patraeus) are now being brought down by it..
Live by the Sword .. Die by the Sword.
i am sure there is plenty of dirt on both sides.personally i hope we don't spend the next 4 years escalating a mud war.
The head of a spy agency falling for the oldest trick in the book...allowing himself to be seduced by a woman who seeks revenge when she feels scorned after the affair ends. Pretaeus must be real dumb.
either that or she is real smart.Never underestimate the other side if you can avoid it.
You guys have just gotten a glimpse into real life in the military.. a good friend of mine was a Military M.P. at Camp Pendelton.. and he tells me that when the young married Marines would go away on a tour to Afghanistan or Iraq.. the military wives either turn on a porch light.. or put out a potted plant to let the other soldiers know that they were alone and available for sex.
Sorry to break it to you... but our men in uniform.. (and many of their wives) are some serious horndogs.
They say when a man is er hmm.. 'aroused' much of the blood flows out from his brain and down into his zipper area.. It's likely the toned-body of Broadwell (in close-quarters) had this effect on Gen. Patraeus.
Which makes a normally intelligent man, turn into an un-thinking primate.. Paula Broadwell did not have to be so intelligent to take advantage of this phenomenon.. she simply needed to do her reps on the stair master and then bat-her eye-lashes at him in order to see his I.Q. drop by a few points instantly.
Michael Fornarina:
In other words, Petraeus is dumb and weak.
We've had THOUSANDS of young men and women killed in this theater of battle while these CLOWNS, dressed up in their "silver stars" and "golden regalia" are only thinking about poontang! The bastards should fall on their swords....what a terrible shame and disgrace to all honorable men and women in uniform!
i don't think it would have mattered what the charge was.They were targeted to fall on their swords and all it would have taken was a jay walking ticket.
the same could be said for alot of polititians on both sides too.And to think our good troops are supposed to follow idiots that can't even come up with a workable budget.
Jill Kelley... Inadvertently blew the whistle on this mess. I'm sure she did it out of spite for Paula.
Congrats Jill. This one is gonna cost you and your hubby a lot of $$$$ in legal fees. AND... on top of those financial lawsuits already hounding you and you hubby.
Trying to pull more than your weight. A tough lesson. Not very bright...
You're about to go from society climber to society recliner. Good luck!!
she will make up for it in book sales and movie rights probably.
And no one think Jill Kelley was selling her access to the top generals to people in the Middle East?
I doubt if it was the middle-east.. but I'm curious to know if those lavish Jill Kelly held private parties included the services of ladies with skirts up to middle-thigh.
Where do you think they got the money to buy a house like that? Not on a surgeon's salary.
You would be surprised what a surgeon can make, I have seen some pretty majestic homes owned by surgeons.
Geez, you guys can do better than that can't you?
It was an Iranian plot together with Al Qaeda they are purposely trying to bring down all the US military one by one picking off the Generals and high command of the Pentagon. France is in on it too. They are p*ssed off about all those American Fries jokes and have decided it is time to bring America down.
If I were you, I'd make sure all my guns were cleaned and loaded and ready to go. Any moment now, they will be breaking through your door. They are specifically looking for Americans who eat bacon (that really drives them crazy).
I do not believe what the general staff at the Pentagon think, General Allen is guilty of fraternization which is clearly a violation of the UCMJ. These are the same generals that were trying to save General Ward from losing a star because of kick back, misappropriation of government funds, and for receiving gratuities from defense contractors. Maybe its time for someone to be watching over our general staff of the military.
Hold all the women to the very same moral, legal, and ethical standard to which the men are held and have been held for 2,000 years. Cases like this prove once again the notion of gender equality is a pathetic, nauseating sham. Men are excoriated, women receive a relatively free pass.
five will get you ten Allen does not go back to Afghanistan nor will he become CINCEUR- retirment is in his very near future and Dempsey needs to go for supporting the fraud of General Ward
30,000 pages?? Even at 15 seconds apiece, that's 125 hours. I hope he was on his own time when he was doing at that clickety-clacking.
It never ceases to amaze me that people with money and power never think they will get caught. If people in key positions would get their sexual appetites under control they might be able to protect our diplomats (Libya) our soldiers and even Americans. These men are being led around by their genitals and the women doing this are just as guilty of hurting the American people. If a man needs more than one woman then he should be single.
What does this have to do with Benghazi? Don't you think that's a bit of a stretch? Not all the problems of the world are caused by men's sex drives, you know.
However, I do agree, it's shameful the way men seem to be unable to control themselves when the opportunity arises.
I still don't understand why anyone should care. Don't we have anything better to do as a nation than worry about this tabloid nonsense? He had an affair; that's lame, but it doesn't affect his job performance or mean he spilled any secrets he wouldn't have divulged otherwise. He already resigned - it's over for him with the CIA. Get over it! Let the CIA/FBI investigate and clean up without flooding the airwaves with this trash and distracting the world from fixing actual problems!
Even really good surgeons usually don't make the kind of money the Kelleys seem to have. Million and a half dollar home. Sister has diamonds, ermine coats, and is 3 million in debt and going to declare bankruptcy. Jill and her sister are skanky mcskankerson twins for sure. Why did 2 generals write letters supporting her divorce case? Are they running a military brothel?
I have to admit this vortex of emails, fornication and shirtless FBI Agents does seem to indicate something beyond your average, garden-variety affair.
But of course. It is "journalists" running amok having been recently deprived of the joy of generating inanities of an electoral political nature for months and months without respite. Withdrawal is really tough to deal with.
You have two decorated generals, one retired and in command of the CIA, the other overseeing the war in Afghanistan. The retired general is carrying on a torrid affair with his biographer, a woman who is inexplicably motivated to send harassing emails to a married woman in Florida, who, with her husband, is close friends with the retired general and his wife.
Meanwhile, the active general is sending literally thousands of "improper" emails to this same, married woman.
If that doesn't point to something beyond the average "screwing the secretary" office affair, I've no idea what does.
GOod question. What are we being asked to overlook while we're too busy with salacious details??
Nbc,abc,cbs,unn,and all the news cast cancer people, after the elections, and all the millions of money they make do not have good honest news to tell us, or at least seek for truth, cast the first stonehad not commited adultery or sin in anyway,the media with all the power of communication make this world uglier and uglier,it look that you are working for the evil one, you and your greedy way of power, you are the ones who one day will be judge after you die,, even if you do not believe in God will be judge, no one will be excempt of that, we are only humans not gods;im not saying this because of that guy Petroues or whoever, you the media relay only in disgraces , and you repeat them all freaking day, your are sick , you are a bad news yourselves,, when are you going to start using communication for the good, stop working for the evil one,, just remember you are humans,, about this freakind petreus who cares about him, he is just another victim ..
Hey people: When you hang a HARD left to avoid the 'Fiscal Cliff' don't head for 'Lovers Leap'! My God so what if 'this crew' has been playing "Grab-A$$" at parties for 5+/- years: Everybody has been exposed to a little play time like that and either participated in it or not, BIG DEAL!! In my opinion we all need to hang a HARD right and start heading back to the MONEY CLIFF AGENDA!!!