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| Jill Kelley breaks silence to say Petraeus scandal was like 'living a nightmare' | Jill Kelley breaks silence to say Petraeus scandal was like 'living a nightmare' |
| (4 months later) | |
| Jill Kelley, a key figure in the scandal brought down the former CIA director David Petraeus, has broken her silence to say that her life had been made a nightmare, and to deny sending as many as 30,000 emails to another top military figure. | Jill Kelley, a key figure in the scandal brought down the former CIA director David Petraeus, has broken her silence to say that her life had been made a nightmare, and to deny sending as many as 30,000 emails to another top military figure. |
| Reports of Petraeus's affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell were uncovered in November, and Kelley's friendship with Petraeus, and his former deputy in Afghanistan, General John Allen, landed her a central place in an episode that sent waves through the US national security leadership. | Reports of Petraeus's affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell were uncovered in November, and Kelley's friendship with Petraeus, and his former deputy in Afghanistan, General John Allen, landed her a central place in an episode that sent waves through the US national security leadership. |
| Kelley had received a number of anonymous emails, which turned out to be from Broadwell, that contained "blackmail, extortion, threats." Kelley told The Daily Beast's Howard Kurtz that the emails, which were first read by her husband Scott in an email account they share, "terrified" her, and that she had never met Broadwell. | Kelley had received a number of anonymous emails, which turned out to be from Broadwell, that contained "blackmail, extortion, threats." Kelley told The Daily Beast's Howard Kurtz that the emails, which were first read by her husband Scott in an email account they share, "terrified" her, and that she had never met Broadwell. |
| Federal prosecutors last month declined to charge Broadwell over the emails. Kelley said she declined an offer from prosecutors to press charges against Broadwell because she had concerns about how a case would affect her family. "I just wanted to let them move on with their lives and not have to relive it," she said. | Federal prosecutors last month declined to charge Broadwell over the emails. Kelley said she declined an offer from prosecutors to press charges against Broadwell because she had concerns about how a case would affect her family. "I just wanted to let them move on with their lives and not have to relive it," she said. |
| She wouldn't say how she felt about Broadwell and instead directed her anger at the media. | She wouldn't say how she felt about Broadwell and instead directed her anger at the media. |
| "As much as I appreciate that they want to be the first one to come out with a headline, regardless of whether they did any fact-checking, they have to consider the impact they have on our life and our children's lives," she said. "Just because it's repeated doesn't make it true. It was living a nightmare." | "As much as I appreciate that they want to be the first one to come out with a headline, regardless of whether they did any fact-checking, they have to consider the impact they have on our life and our children's lives," she said. "Just because it's repeated doesn't make it true. It was living a nightmare." |
| To improve her public image, Kelley has hired a new spokesman, Gene Grabowski. She said her previous publicist had recommended she keep quiet on the scandal, which left many journalists scrambling to provide a story on her, occasionally relying on dubious means. | To improve her public image, Kelley has hired a new spokesman, Gene Grabowski. She said her previous publicist had recommended she keep quiet on the scandal, which left many journalists scrambling to provide a story on her, occasionally relying on dubious means. |
| Kelley said people she didn't know were quoted as her friends. News agencies also provided quotes from unnamed sources who characterized emails between her and Allen, the US commander in Afghanistan, as flirtatious and potentially inappropriate. Reports said that she had exchanged up to 30,000 emails with Allen. She called the claims "outrageous" and estimated that the emails were in the hundreds. | Kelley said people she didn't know were quoted as her friends. News agencies also provided quotes from unnamed sources who characterized emails between her and Allen, the US commander in Afghanistan, as flirtatious and potentially inappropriate. Reports said that she had exchanged up to 30,000 emails with Allen. She called the claims "outrageous" and estimated that the emails were in the hundreds. |
| Tampa is home to US Central Command and boasts a large military presence. Kelley and her husband were active members of the Tampa military social scene where they developed relationships with high-ranking officials including Petraeus and Allen. | Tampa is home to US Central Command and boasts a large military presence. Kelley and her husband were active members of the Tampa military social scene where they developed relationships with high-ranking officials including Petraeus and Allen. |
| She said of her relationship with Allen: "We're friends, good friends. His wife and me are good friends. Our children are friends." | She said of her relationship with Allen: "We're friends, good friends. His wife and me are good friends. Our children are friends." |
| Allen's promotion to commander of Nato forces was put on hold following the scandal, and a slew of emails is being investigated. Kelley said the emails were innocent and sent and received through an email account she shares with her husband. She also said Allen's wife was copied into some of the emails. "It was pretty straightforward," Kelley said. | Allen's promotion to commander of Nato forces was put on hold following the scandal, and a slew of emails is being investigated. Kelley said the emails were innocent and sent and received through an email account she shares with her husband. She also said Allen's wife was copied into some of the emails. "It was pretty straightforward," Kelley said. |
| Another piece of rumor mill fodder were letters written by Allen and Petraeus. The two officials had written letters on behalf of Kelley's twin sister Natalie Khawam when she was in court, in an attempt to win custody of a child from estranged husband. Kelley said her sister moved in with her after she split from her husband and had made her own relationship with the two men. | Another piece of rumor mill fodder were letters written by Allen and Petraeus. The two officials had written letters on behalf of Kelley's twin sister Natalie Khawam when she was in court, in an attempt to win custody of a child from estranged husband. Kelley said her sister moved in with her after she split from her husband and had made her own relationship with the two men. |
| Kelley also defended her financial difficulties, which had also been discussed by the media. She attributed litigation her family had faced for credit-card debt to an investment property they had let go into foreclosure, and said the media "made it look like I'm throwing parties yet I'm broke, made it look like we're deadbeats," Kelley said. "It's offensive." | Kelley also defended her financial difficulties, which had also been discussed by the media. She attributed litigation her family had faced for credit-card debt to an investment property they had let go into foreclosure, and said the media "made it look like I'm throwing parties yet I'm broke, made it look like we're deadbeats," Kelley said. "It's offensive." |
| She insists that an oft-quoted report that half of the $160,000 she raised for a cancer charity went to meals and other expenses was misconstrued, and that she and her husband were the sole donors. | She insists that an oft-quoted report that half of the $160,000 she raised for a cancer charity went to meals and other expenses was misconstrued, and that she and her husband were the sole donors. |
| She also disputed reports from New York businessman Adam Victor, who said that Kelley had asked for $80m to help him land an energy contract in South Korea. Before Victor spoke to the media, Kelley held an honorary title as "special consul" to South Korea's foreign ministry. She said the two had meetings and a 2% fee was discussed, but the meetings were discontinued and no specific details were disclosed. | She also disputed reports from New York businessman Adam Victor, who said that Kelley had asked for $80m to help him land an energy contract in South Korea. Before Victor spoke to the media, Kelley held an honorary title as "special consul" to South Korea's foreign ministry. She said the two had meetings and a 2% fee was discussed, but the meetings were discontinued and no specific details were disclosed. |
| Kelley said she was speaking out as she tries to go back to life as it was before the scandal. | Kelley said she was speaking out as she tries to go back to life as it was before the scandal. |
| "I'm a dedicated mother, a loving wife. We have a very happy, close family. I support the troops. I take pride in feeding the homeless in our community," she said. | "I'm a dedicated mother, a loving wife. We have a very happy, close family. I support the troops. I take pride in feeding the homeless in our community," she said. |
| "This whole situation is just very sad." | "This whole situation is just very sad." |
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