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Florida socialite Jill Kelley has emerged as a central figure in the growing scandal that’s ensnared high-ranking officials at the CIA and the Pentagon.
In the latest twist, U.S. General John Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, is under investigation for exchanging what officials describe as “inappropriate” emails with Kelley, a Tampa, Fla., wife and a mother of three daughters.
That revelation came days after the resignation of Gen. David Petraeus -- a family friend of Kelley’s -- from his post as director of the CIA over an admitted affair.
"This is something that's going to brand her for life," David Khawam, Kelley's brother, told TODAY. "My sister, number one, is a mother. OK, she has three kids. She's extremely dedicated to those kids. Number two, she's a wife. She's extremely dedicated to her husband. And he to her.”
Officials say Kelley’s complaint to the FBI over anonymous, threatening emails touched off the investigation that led to Petraeus’ resignation after officials uncovered an apparent affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell.
ISAF commander Gen. John Allen under investigation over 'inappropriate' emails
Now, even the FBI agent who first heard Kelley’s complaint is under scrutiny, officials said.
Kelley and her husband, who is a surgeon, are close friends of the Petraeus family. Kelley, 37, was a volunteer social liaison to the MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, where she often hosted parties for top brass. Kelley also has a twin sister, Natalie, who is a lawyer based in Florida.
According to a senior official, the investigation that led to Petraeus' resignation began several months ago when Kelley reported she had received anonymous harassing emails from a person she didn't know.
The FBI viewed the matter as a potential case of "cyber-harassment" and it was handled "regionally" with federal prosecutors working with the FBI on the matter, the official said. At first, neither Kelley nor the FBI knew who was sending the harassing emails because they came from accounts that were not immediately identifiable.
Petraeus revelation began as cyber-harassment probe; investigation ended 4 days before election
But the FBI was eventually able to determine they came from Broadwell. Investigators then obtained access to Broadwell’s regular email account, where they uncovered her email exchanges with Petraeus and an apparent relationship between the two of them, the official said.
The FBI agent whom Kelley asked to look into the emails she received was a friend and had no further part in the investigation, a senior law enforcement official said Tuesday.
The agent sent Kelley a photo of himself with no shirt, "as a joke, a gag" at least six months before she began receiving the troubling emails, the official said. There is, the official said, no indication that the relationship between the two was anything more than a friendship. Agents discovered the shirtless photo in her e-mails, resulting in an internal investigation into whether he acted inappropriately.
The FBI has declined to identify the agent.
A statement released late on Sunday on behalf of Kelley and her husband, Scott, read: "We and our family have been friends with General Petraeus and his family for over 5 years. We respect his and his family's privacy and want the same for us and our three children."
Frequently fundraising for the Wounded Warriors Project, the Kelleys socialized with Petreaus and his wife, Holly. In 2010, the Petraeuses watched the Gasparilla parade from a tent on the Kelleys front lawn.
Kelley's brother said he stands by her sister and offers his full support.
"The conversations I had with her were basically, that I love you and and we're here for whatever you need," Khawam told TODAY.
In a 1988 Philadelphia Inquirer feature, the Khawams are described as a Lebanese family that emigrated to Philadelphia in the 1970s. Among other activities, they ran a Middle Eastern restaurant called Sahara.
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- ISAF commander Gen. John Allen under investigation over 'inappropriate' emails
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Leave a Comment:
I'm sure millions of women would like to know what she's got, this Levantine Circe, that turns men to swine--all who meet her. Paula Broadwell was right, it looks like, not to send useless threats in emails but to fear the charms of Jill Kelley, nee Khawam.
Jill Kelley: The woman near the heart of a scandal.
Can say it that way..but was her whole damm body involved. ;P
This Kelley baited the General to profit from the publicity. Their all in it for personal gain. In the end the tax payer will pay for all the trouble these rich bitches caused!
How does she make money off of this? I doubt it.
Jill Kelly knew exactly what she was doing and what the outcome would be when she went to the FBI and complained of harassing emails from someone she didn't know..Of course she knew who they were from and she also knew Paula Broadwell, Jill Kelly was a friend of Petraeus family and she was writing a book about him.. This is all about a woman scorned. She knew it would be investigated, has a male friend from the FBI get involved to help her. She knew that when they investigated her email they would find email from general Allen and she would bring down all of the above. I wouldn't be surprised if her and Paula didn't have this planned together......
Well, this gets the Kardashians in the background for a few days which must really be annoying them. A week, ten days at the most, one of the Kardashians will do something to deflect media attention. Kanye West will probably say "Taylor Swift dates donkeys!" Sorry, Kanye, you're only an a**.
Jill kelly is just another kunt that wants to be in the spotlight and look important rubbing shoulders with the brass
You don't know anything like that.
People,
Why are we sooo concerned with getting an answer about what happened in Benghazi?? Everyone ranting on this site knows the government moves when it wants. Sending aid to Benghazi was not a scene in an action movie when you make a call and 2 hours later Seal Team 6 shows up with Bruce Willis and saves the day. It doesn't work like that...and you people know it. Stop whining. Remember Katrina??? Bush knew in advance a major storm was coming and the people in those areas needed real time aid. Did he do what was needed-when it was needed? Did he answer for this crime to most of you whiners satisfaction?? I think not. What happened is still disturbing and these were American citizens too.
Take your anger, disgust, and timelines to Florida...Demand answers from their leaders--past and present. Let's see what you come up with.
Ask yourself would this story have come out if Romney had won the election. So now when Patreaus testifies to congress, his honesty is called into question. If he will lie to his wife and kids, why wouldn't he lie to congress? Smells of payback. Second there is no victim in adultery except the spouses and their families that were cheated on. That being said, We have ourselves to blame. We have allowed a culture of privilege allow to grow and thrive in Washington D.C. . How many times have we heard in the news of our Representatives getting caught in a scandal such as this? That's not to mention celebrities, and the rich. It has become the norm. It's a attitude of the normal rules do not apply. And you the little guy will eat whatever they feed you. Why would anyone spend a billion dollars on a presidential campaign? Not to mention the millions for House and Senate seats hmmmmm? Cause power does what it wants. It is big business. Everyone there is there for power, prestige, and money and the chance to fool around all they want. If the Capitol moved the prostitution business there would go out of business.
No one is hurt except their families??????I beg to differ. These men are TOP military brass, bedding with foreign women, do you not realize the power a mistress has over her man. What he would do to keep her happy, and quiet. No to mention pillow talk, an acess to his personal email, and phones. It boggles the mind what this women know about the UG Gov and foreign affairs. These men made a mistake certainly , they have also lied and disgraced the military!!!!!!!!!!!!
No kinder , gentler talk these days?
I'm not trying to turn this discussion to the horrific tragedy I am about to mention...I want to know where all the 9/11 conspiracy theorist nut jobs are right now. The god damn head of the CIA can't even get away with some adult hanky-panky with his mistress. This country can't keep anything quiet. In this day in age where there are so many conspiracy theorists...what happens when the brass gets popped? Shouldn't it disprove that you can't cover everything up. Sneaking around behind the back of your wife who resembles Benjamin Franklin is impossible. If they can't cover this up, how do they cover up 9/11?
There probably isn't anymore to this story that what is already there. It does make me mad that my tax dollars are spent on this crap, put it out there and then the respective families can deal with it. The FBI agent that called Cantor's office should be enjoying his new assignment in Nome, Alaska he sounds like a real loser as does this woman who just sounds like a military groupie. The Republicans lost the election, that means we have to stop this persecution of people on these issues. As for all of this stuff about Bengazi, it is a dangerous world, and foreign service officers are paid a lot more than the military, and sometimes stuff happens. That is just life. I doubt if the losers that go on and on about it have actually ever traveled but our embasies and consulates look like fortresses any more, we do it as a service to the country, if it is considered dangersous then don't put people there.
Another Anna Chapman?
If this is an ongoing investigation why is it being played out in the media? Do you really think that the FBI is leaking this to the press, I don't think so. It's obvious that these leaks are comming from the administration. Why is it necessary to savage our nations heros in public when all of the facts are not yet in?
No surprise! Apparently Jill is a social climber in the Tampa Bay area and has a history of 'over the top' parties including wealthy and military brass.
Jill has social access to generals and Jill has security clearance to the BIG GUY.
Hey.. this is about two women bitching at each other... Paula and Jill. Watch and learn.
What's really disturbing is that Fox News thinks that if this came out earlier, it would have made a difference in the election, wowww, people in the government that can't keep their pecker in their pants, yeah , America isn't use to that, we would have went nuts if we knew about it.
I’m still amazed that NBC can’t get enough of the Petraeus affair but refuses to mention the Benghazi massacre where our Ambassador was murdered. If they are so bias about not reporting the death of four Americans in Benghazi, how do we believe anything they report? What a shame they call themselves journalist.
Google Jill Kelley's Private Life Tampa CBS News. This woman is something else...
Otherwise, this story might never have broken to the news.
'Honorary consul' license plate ? There are only three states which provide them, Colorado, Louisiana and Texas. So her's are just vanity plates and probably illegal in Florida. Calling 911 and requesting diplomatic protection ? What a pompous moron this woman is. Rubbing elbows with military bigwigs with money her husband earned is her claim to infamy now.
Enter her in the dimbulb hall of fame.
Yeah, This one is going to bite her in the ass. I'm sure it will cost financially and her reputation.
I also read that she and her husband are or were involved in nine lawsuits involving money/investments.
Won't be long...
Let's all have sex and not make such a big deal about it.
Considering none of you know she has done anything wrong at all, you sure do have strong opinions.
Jill Kelley is no, Honorary Ambassador to anything, she used your position to help military families as a front to gain access to top level commanders and then swayed her way into the lime light. Just because you know someone does not make you friends. Kelley has shown a pattern of using those she comes in contact with to gain favor or information. With friends like that who needs enemies. Kelley is just a user, abuser and just right down mean person, she betray the trust of those she came in contact with and in a way betrayed the very military families she helped. No, I'm not saying General Petraeus is off the hook but at least he had the integrity and honor of honing up to his mistake and signed on the spot. General Petraeus set the example of all federal government employees and executives of what to do when you are wrong.
there seems to be such a lack of integrity, even in areas of the culture with reputations for high integrity.
grim.
Why the heck is the media talking about instead of the fiscal cliff we are headed towards?
The media controls which way the wind blows in this country, and how our un-informed majority is engaged (or not) in the very real problems this country has.
This is very sad indeed as we further unravel the fabric of this once great nation.
"Just exactly what is a 'social liaison', anyway?" some Congressman intending to make a name will ask, and pretty soon.
Is this some sort of American Geisha, skilled at entertaining men with charm and conversation? If so, it's bound to be misunderstood by more than a few men unused to the company of women, like career soldiers and federal agents.
Or is this a polite form of pimping--a sort of Mayflower Madam relocated 1100 miles south by southwest to Tampa Bay?
Either way, this will turn out to be the Army's Tailhook Affair and there will be permanent changes in what an exasperated Congress and citizenry will tolerate in their gold-plated military.
Much to do about nothing as liberal paparrazi tabloids continue using chaff (distraction methods) of sex scandals and affairs to take the focus off the important issues that really matter.
The White House thanks MSN, ABC, NBC and even Fox for carrying their non stop nonsense except Fox hasn't forgotten about the Senate Benghazi Hearings on Thursday as the others have intentionally.
Our country has already fallen off the fiscal cliff during the last 4 years with next four the final blow. Boehner Reid and Obama still think it's just a political game of chicken with no consequences. They're all set financially and could care less what happens once they retire which isn't soon enough.
Tad, someone's mama ought to have taught him that no one likes a sore loser.
Did I say "headline grabbing politician"?
"You rang?" answers Rep. Peter King, Republican of Queens, NY. Although no scholar, Peter King is not a stupid man. But his constituents, don't forget, are those intellectual giants who kept Al "Senator Pothole" D'Amato in his senate seat for near twenty years.
Just a try at embarrassing the administration, what would these "vital hearings" on the tragedy at our consulate in Benghazi, Libya reveal? The CIA is not a guard force and our diplomatic facilities are under the State Department even if it were.