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Jill Kelley, the Florida socialite who exposed the affair which brought down CIA Director David Petraeus, has been sacked as an honorary consul for South Korea.

Jill Kelley, 37, was so proud of her status, which she was awarded thanks to her friendship with the country’s ambassador, that she had a custom licence plate made boasting of it.

But now the title has been taken away from her after a senior Korean official said she had tried to “peddle influence” in a way that was “inappropriate”.

Jill Kelley, a Tampa housewife who works as an “unpaid social liaison” at MacDill Air Force Base, unwittingly sparked the Petraeus scandal telling the FBI about “threatening” emails she had received from author Paula Broadwell.

A subsequent investigation revealed that Paula Broadwell had been having an affair with David Petraeus, who was subsequently forced to resign as director of the CIA.

Jill Kelley was appointed honorary consul for South Korea in August after becoming close to former ambassador Han Duk-Soo, who is said to be troubled by his unwitting role in the Petraeus affair.

When he recommended her for the post, he apparently alluded to her links with senior officials such as David Petraeus and General John Allen, who was dragged into the scandal when it emerged that he and Jill Kelley had exchanged thousands of emails.

As well as sporting a licence plate describing her as “Honorary Consul”, Jill Kelley requested “diplomatic protection” from media camped outside her door in the wake of David Petraeus’ resignation.

So she will doubtless be devastated to learn than the title has been withdrawn, according to the country’s deputy foreign minister Kim Kyou-hyun.

During a visit to Washington, he told the Yonhap news agency that Jill Kelley would no longer be allowed to hold the $2,500-a-year job.

“It’s not suitable to the status of honorary consul that [she] sought to be involved in commercial projects and peddle influence,” Kim Kyou-hyun said.

“It’s also inappropriate as honorary consul.”

A New York businessman said Jill Kelley was introduced to him at the Republican National Convention in Tampa in August as someone whose friendship with David Petraeus would help facilitate a no-bid deal with South Korea on a coal-gasification project.

Jill Kelley would supposedly be in a position to help broker the billion-dollar deal directly with the Korean president, and expected a two percent commission, said Adam Victor, president and CEO of TransGas Development Systems.

She also tried to establish a relationship between South Korea and the University of South Florida’s medical school.

It had previously emerged that Jill Kelley was awarded a medal for “Outstanding Public Service” – the second highest honor available to a civilian – from the Joint Chiefs of Staff after she was recommended by David Petraeus himself.

After problems with the application, it was resubmitted in October 2010 by Marine General James Mattis, who had replaced David Petraeus as the head of U.S. Central Command.

David Petraeus then presented the award to Jill Kelley, whom he met through her work and lavish party planning for MacDill, at a ceremony in Washington on March 18, 2011.

The award citation noted the honor was for her public service to the U.S. Central Command, MacDill and the Department of Defense from October 31, 2008 to May 31, 2010. She received a silver medal, lapel pin, citation and certificate.

“Mrs. Kelley distinguished herself by exceptional service while supporting the mission of the United Central Command, building positive relationships between the military and the Tampa community, supporting community outreach, and advancing various military endeavors,” according to the award citation, seen by the Tampa Tribune.

It adds that her “willingness to host engagements with Senior National Representatives from more than 60 countries was indicative of her support for both the Coalition’s effort and the mission of United States Central Command”.

And her willingness to rub shoulders with the military’s top brass has become increasingly apparent since her part in the Petraeus scandal emerged over the past two weeks.

Jill Kelley, the Florida socialite who exposed the affair which brought down CIA Director David Petraeus, has been sacked as an honorary consul for South Korea

Jill Kelley, the Florida socialite who exposed the affair which brought down CIA Director David Petraeus, has been sacked as an honorary consul for South Korea

Jill Kelley has thrown expensive parties at her home for generals and local politicians, reportedly schmoozed with Barack Obama aides who then invited her to dinners at the White House and enjoyed taxpayer-funded flights on military aircraft.

“On multiple occasions, Mrs. Kelley invited Senior National Representatives, their spouses, and senior leaders to her home to demonstrate their gratitude and support,” the citation noted.

“These events promoted camaraderie, understanding and a better appreciation for Coalition and military customs, concerns and abilities.

“Her personal leadership and selfless contributions to our community generated a strong bond between our Coalition members and Tampa residents, which inspired acts of generosity and patriotism in others.”

Jill Kelley was also commended for helping David Petraeus when he first took over CentCom.

“She [was] instrumental in introducing the commander, early in his tenure, to local and state officials, particularly the mayor of Tampa and the governor of Florida,” according to the citation.

But her friendliness with military officials has also led to her undoing, after she was found to have exchanged “flirtatious” emails with General John Allen during the FBI probe into David Petraeus.

During the investigation, the FBI found 20,000 to 30,000 pages of emails between Jill Kelley and the general, who is head of U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

It also emerged this week that she travelled on a military plane with General John Allen on at least one occasion. In other instances, she reportedly flew to Washington DC.

The investigation by 10 News Tampa found she enjoyed “numerous” flights, including on a KC-135 jet in May 2010.

“It’s an educational opportunity for people to just see what hard working military members are doing each day,” Lt. Col. Jack Miller said of the plane.

“It’s generally folks throughout the community that just have an interest in the instillation. Sometimes it’s just a matter of requesting to do it.”

The revelation came after Jill Kelley and her twin sister, Natalie Khawam, were invited to two “courtesy” meals in the Executive Mansion mess hall as a guest of a White House aide.

She met the mid-level aide through her work with MacDill Air Force Base near Tampa, where she also rubbed shoulders with the military bosses including General David Petraeus.

On one further occasion, she received a White House tour with her family, the official added.

In further examples of her attempts to use her contacts to her advantage, Jill Kelley sent a string of pleading emails to the Tampa Mayor after the scandal broke, complaining she has been receiving threats and claiming: “The truth will one day prevail.”

The anguished messages, seen by the Tampa Bay Times, were sent to Bob Buckhorn, whom she knows socially, and claimed her children were scared and her husband had been forced to sleep at work.

The emails are the second instance of her trying to exploit her “position” – after she called the police asking for “diplomatic protection” from the media due to her role as honorary consul to South Korea.

“I’m an honorary consul general, so I have inviolability, so they should not be able to cross my property,” Jill Kelley told the 911 operator.

“I don’t know if you want to get diplomatic protection involved as well, because that’s against the law to cross my property because, you know, it’s inviolable.”

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Adam Victor, a New York businessman, claims that Jill Kelley was so eager to close a billion-dollar business deal that the Florida socialite stood up her own husband on their anniversary.

Jill Kelley reportedly met Adam Victor at the Republican National Convention in Tampa. Shortly after they were introduced by mutual friend Don Phillips, the two began to talk business.

Adam Victor is the president and CEO of TransGas Development Systems, a New York-based firm dedicated to the pursuit of clean energy.

Jill Kelley claimed that in her capacity as honorary consul for South Korea, she could help Adam Victor set up a coal plant there.

Emails between Jill Kelley and Adam Victor exclusively obtained by ABC News revealed how Kelley doggedly pursued the deal.

At one point, Jill Kelley emailed Adam Victor: “Adam, I’m on my flight. It was wonderful to meet with you. I was quite impressed learning about the project to say the least.

“I’m emailing around some contacts, calling in favors, and totally anxious to take this to the next step. It has HUGE potential. It just needs a catalyst like me. :-)”

Adam Victor, a New York businessman, claims that Jill Kelley was so eager to close a billion-dollar business deal that the Florida socialite stood up her own husband on their anniversary

Adam Victor, a New York businessman, claims that Jill Kelley was so eager to close a billion-dollar business deal that the Florida socialite stood up her own husband on their anniversary

While wheeling and dealing with Adam Victor, Don Phillips claimed to ABC that Jill Kelley wasn’t interested in moving forward, telling him: “As a result of my personal investigations and business intelligence this is just not going anywhere, Don, and you just don’t want to associate with [Victor].”

But Jill Kelley soon emailed one of Adam Victor’s employee, saying she was blowing off her husband Scott on their anniversary so that she could speak more about the South Korea deal.

The email shown to the network read: “[M]y husband is in agreement with me canceling our 13th Anniversary dinner plans. Please call me.”

But the deal apparently collapsed when Jill Kelley informed Adam Victor of the commission she was hoping to take in for helping to complete the deal – a whopping 2%, or $80 million.

Adam Victor’s next email informed Jill Kelley: “The suggested fee you have asked for is so out of market, I have no way of working out any acceptable deal with you. You should not contact anyone on our behalf.”

He said he was told by Jill Kelley that David Petraeus had set her up as an honorary consul to South Korea, a claim refuted by the general’s longtime spokesman, retired Army Col Steve Boylan.

Don Phillips, Jill Kelley’s friend, also told ABC that she has never sought any benefits from her friendship with the disgraced general.

Jill Kelley is the woman who blew the lid off the Petraeus affair and ensuing scandal after she received threatening emails from the generals mistress and biographer, Paula Broadwell.

It was revealed on Tuesday that the Florida socialite took multiple flights aboard military aircraft on the taxpayers’ dime.

Jill Kelley, 37, even reportedly flew to Washington, DC, with General John Allen – the military commander she is said to have exchanged tens of thousands of emails with while he was in Afghanistan.

It is not known why Jill Kelley flew to Washington DC with John Allen but it has emerged that in recent months she has had three visits to the White House.

The mother of three from Tampa has so far refused to comment publicly on her role in the scandal that ended the career of CIA Director David Petraeus and put the distinguished career of General John Allen in jeopardy.

The commander of the coalition forces in Afghanistan is under investigation for “flirty” emails said to number as many as 30,000 that he exchanged with Jill Kelley.

An investigation by 10 News Tampa has revealed that Jill Kelley, whose complaint over threatening emails revealed David Petraeus’ affair, has enjoyed several trips on military planes.

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Jill Kelley, the Florida housewife whose complaint over threatening emails revealed David Petraeus’ affair, has attempted to exploit her connections once again.

In her first words since her part in the scandal was revealed over the weekend, Jill Kelley has sent a string of pleading emails to the Tampa Mayor, complaining she has been receiving threats and claiming: “The truth will one day prevail.”

The anguished messages, seen by the Tampa Bay Times, were sent in the early hours of Tuesday and Wednesday to Bob Buckhorn, whom she knows socially.

Jill Kelley claims her three children are scared to return home and her husband, Dr. Scott Kelley, has been forced to sleep at the hospital because he cannot get into their driveway, due to the swarms of media.

“Dear Mayor Bob,” Jill Kelley wrote, adding that she, David Petraeus and General John R. Allen – whom she was found to have exchanged “flirtatious” emails with – “have been exploited by the media”.

“I wouldn’t care – if they got the facts right and the focus was on the criminal that stalked all of us,” she added, apparently referring to David Petraeus’ mistress Paula Broadwell.

“But the truth will one day prevail.”

It is the second instance of her trying to exploit her “position” – after she called the police asking for “diplomatic protection” from the media due to her role as honorary consul to South Korea.

“I’m an honorary consul general, so I have inviolability, so they should not be able to cross my property,” Jill Kelley told the 911 operator.

 “I don’t know if you want to get diplomatic protection involved as well, because that’s against the law to cross my property because, you know, it’s inviolable.”

But the move backfired – with the police releasing the calls to the media and failing to provide her the protection reserved for those in positions of genuine authority.

“To put insult to injury, your police dept gave the local 911 tapes to the press!” Jill Kelley wrote to Bob Buckhorn, adding that the recordings included her cell number, so: “I have been receiving threats all night.”

“I’m scared and cannot believe what my city, in which I have contributed so much of my love, time, money and leadership, has now done to me and my innocent family,” Jill Kelley wrote.

Bob Buckhorn told the Times that he did nothing in response to Jill Kelley’s complaint and simply said that the 911 recordings were public records.

He added that he knew the Kelleys socially after he won the mayoral race in March 2011 – even though they did not support him in his bid and he had never met them before.

Jill Kelley with General David Petraeus and his wife Holly at her home in 2011

Jill Kelley with General David Petraeus and his wife Holly at her home in 2011

Yet just three weeks after Bob Buckhorn was sworn into office, Dr. Scott Kelley and his wife hosted a reception for him at their lavish $1.3 million home on Bayshore Boulevard.

Jill Kelley has since invited Bob Buckhorn to a string of social events, including her daughter’s sixth birthday party, which are also documented by email, the Times reported.

She invited him and his wife to a dinner party for the King of Jordan and, after he was unable to attend, she wrote to him again.

“The King and his sister [the Princess] are awesome people!” Jill Kelley said.

“Actually your name was brought up by the Generals when they were showing off the party I hosted you! (everyone loved that party).”

They met again when Bob Buckhorn and his wife gave her a ride home following an event at MacDill Air Force Base, for which she organized events as a volunteer social liaison officer.

“Gen. [James] Mattis, was so kind to offer, but I realized you two were passing my way,” Jill Kelley emailed the mayor the following day.

Their messages also show how she involved herself in a spat over a radio host’s claims that he was going to deep fat fry the Koran earlier this year, according to the Times.

Officers at MacDill told the mayor that the publicity stunt could harm troops, and asked him to speak with the host.

Jill Kelley also called the mayor to tell them she had been speaking with Gen. John Allen and Vice Admiral Robert Harward, the deputy commander of CentCom, who said they needed the mayor’s help.

When Buckhorn responded to say it was being dealt with, Jill Kelley said “they asked me to get involved, like I did when it happened with the Pastor last year”.

Her shrewd social-climbing tactics also came to light this week when she was pictured with Marco Rubio and her twin sister, Natalie Khawam, when he was running for the Senate.

The photograph was tweeted by Republican Angelette Aviles who said that it was taken at a March 2010 fundraiser, where tickets were $1,000.

But the twins didn’t pay – instead, they appeared, took the photo and left, Angelette Aviles told the Times. They did not contribute to his campaign.

Yet over the past week, Jill Kelley’s connections have given her more exposure than she was perhaps intending.

After David Petraeus dramatically resigned from the top of the CIA last Friday, it emerged that Jill Kelley had played a key role in exposing his affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell.

In May, Jill Kelley alerted the FBI that she had been receiving threatening, anonymous emails warning her to “back off” David Petraeus, whom Kelley and her husband are good friends with.

The FBI was forced to launch an in-depth investigation as some messages contained classified information about David Petraeus’ whereabouts, and they feared there could have been a security breach.

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Florida socialite Jill Kelley tried to cash in on her “honorary consul” title by asking for $80 million for her help in putting together an energy deal.

Jill Kelley asked for 2% of a multi-billion deal being considered by an alternative energy company called TransGas Development Systems.

Jill Kelley, 37, was even flown to New York by the company so she could learn more about the business.

But according to company president Adam Victor, he realized she didn’t have a clue about commercial deals when she asked for the eight figure sum for brokering any deal.

Adam Victor said he met Jill Kelley at the Republican Convention in Tampa in September where she boasted about her close contacts with General David Petraeus.

Jill Kelley also told him she was honorary consul for South Korea and Adam Victor admitted he thought her links with officials from the country could help his business.

“When I met with [her], she seemed extremely interested in coal gasification,” Adam Victor said.

He told the Tampa Tribune that he flew Jill Kelley to New York to learn more about his company’s clean coal technology and believed her close ties to David Petraeus could help win energy contacts in South Korea.

Jill Kelley tried to cash in on her honorary consul title by asking for $80 million for her help in putting together an energy deal

Jill Kelley tried to cash in on her honorary consul title by asking for $80 million for her help in putting together an energy deal

Adam Victor said he was shocked when Jill Kelley, who owes millions to the bank and in credit card debt, asked for 2% of any deal that was signed.

The energy chief said he was so taken back by the demand that he began to question her experience in putting together deals. He also cut all ties with her.

A spokesman for Jill Kelley said she was not aware of TransGas.

Meanwhile, South Korean officials are now examining if Jill Kelley should retain the title “honorary consul”.

“We are looking at what is going on around her,” said Tae-jin Kim from the South Korean embassy.

“I think there is a possibility we will review her status.”

Jill Kelley parades around Tampa in a silver Mercedes with the license plate “Honorary Consul”.

She also tried to ask for diplomatic protection after her name first became linked to the downfall for former CIA director David Petraeus.

Losing her honorary consul status will be another slap in the face for Jill Kelley who has already had her pass to the MacDill Air force base revoked.

That was far from the first time that Jill Kelley ruffled feathers at the military base, as the wife of General John Allen, the top military commander under investigation for sending “flirty” emails to a Florida party organizer, was unhappy about their close friendship.

Kathy Allen complained to the wife of a civil liaison officer at Central Command in Tampa about the number of emails her husband was receiving from socialite Jill Kelley.

Jill Kelley, who reveled in her close links to senior military men, was warned several times to stop bombarding the general with emails.

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Jill Kelley, the woman at the center of the David Petraeus sex scandal,  invoked her honorary diplomatic status on November 11 when she called to complain about reporters on her property.

“I’m an honorary consul general, so I have inviolability, so they should not be able to cross my property,” she told the 911 operator.

“I don’t know if you want to get diplomatic protection involved as well, because that’s against the law to cross my property because, you know, it’s inviolable.”

Jill Kelley was a frequent visitor to the sprawling military base. The doctor’s wife courted four star generals and other senior military figures as an unpaid liaison officer – describing herself as an “honorary consul” of South Korea – a position she achieved one official said “last August thanks to her good connections and network”.

She held lavish parties at her $1.3million home overlooking Tampa Bay where the General’s and their wives were feted.

In fact, her position of honorary consul, which she has proudly displayed on her Mercedes’ license plate, is symbolic and has no official duties.

Jill Kelley, the woman at the center of the David Petraeus sex scandal,  invoked her honorary diplomatic status on November 11 when she called to complain about reporters on her property

Jill Kelley, the woman at the center of the David Petraeus sex scandal, invoked her honorary diplomatic status on November 11 when she called to complain about reporters on her property

“She does not work as a real consul,” the anonymous official said to Foreign Policy Magazine.

He added: “Jill Kelley helped to get support for [the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement] and she arranged meetings between the ROK Ambassador to Washington and local businessmen when the ROK Ambassador visited the Tampa area.”

Jill Kelley is a close friend of the Petraeus family, and photographs circulating in the media show the dark-haired woman at parties with David Petraeus and his wife Holly.

She also met General John Allen at Central Command, and now investigators are looking at 20,000-plus pages of documents and emails between Jill Kelley and Allen.

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Jill Kelley, the woman at the center of the David Petraeus sex scandal, is facing the prospect of being blackballed by the military establishment.

Jill Kelley, a 37-year-old Tampa socialite who hosted parties for the nation’s top brass, has been told today that she is no longer welcome at military HQ near her Florida home.

Her complaint over threatening emails triggered an FBI investigation that led to CIA director David Petraeus’ resignation when it came to light that he was having an affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell.

In an increasingly tangled sex scandal, Jill Kelley is now at the center of an investigation over alleged “inappropriate communications” between her and General John Allen, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan.

Jill Kelley and her identical twin sister Natalie Khawam rose from humble beginnings as daughter of Lebanese immigrants in Pennsylvania, to prolific networkers on the Tampa social scene close to Central Command.

However, her role in a sex scandal that may have heavy repercussions for national security led to a military official calling Jill Kelley to revoke her access pass while an investigation into the 30,000 “flirtatious” emails is carried out.

Defence Secretary Leon Panetta ordered the inquiry while President Barack Obama has given his backing to Allen while the investigation takes place.

“She did have base access but does not currently because of her involvement in an ongoing investigation,” a military official told the Tampa Tribune.

Jill Kelley, the woman at the center of the David Petraeus sex scandal, is facing the prospect of being blackballed by the military establishment

Jill Kelley, the woman at the center of the David Petraeus sex scandal, is facing the prospect of being blackballed by the military establishment

Jill Kelley was a frequent visitor to the sprawling military base. The doctor’s wife courted four star generals and other senior military figures as an unpaid liaison officer – describing herself as an “honorary consul” of South Korea – a position she achieved one official said “last August thanks to her good connections and network”.

In fact, the position of honorary consul is symbolic and has no official duties. Jill Kelley held lavish parties at her $1.3 million home overlooking Tampa Bay where the General’s and their wives were feted.

Both generals, David Petraeus and John Allen, met Jill Kelley, who friends have described as a “ferocious social climber”, when they were in charge at U.S. Central Command in 2008.

Jill Kelley has refused to speak publicly about her involvement with David Petraeus, who turned 60 last week, and General John Allen.

John Allen, 58, has denied any wrongdoing and insisted his relationship with Jill Kelley was purely platonic.

Jill Kelley has remained at her colonial style mansion during the scandal, appearing briefly in bold designer dresses for the media who have gathered outside her home.

The mother-of-three has been bombarded with offers from TV networks to conduct a sit down chat about her relationship.

Jill Kelley is the most sought after person to be named in a Washington sex scandal since Monica Lewinsky and has hired a DC lawyer. A producer from CBS TV flew from New York to Jill Kelley’s Tampa home to drop off a request for a sit down.

The producer said the aim was to “get Kelley” to New York as the bids from other networks roll in.

Friends believe Jill Kelley will agree to talk – because she desperately needs the money.

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Jill Kelley made headlines this week after it emerged that she was the target of harassing emails from Paula Broadwell, a 40-year-old mother of two who was engaged in a months-long affair with David Petraeus.

She has called police four times over the past two days to complain about reporters outside her home. In one call, Jill Kelley said she was an honorary consul general, adding: “I don’t know if you want to get diplomatic protection.”

Jill Kelley regularly kept in touch with then-General Petraeus when he became commander of the Afghan war effort, the two exchanging near-daily emails and instant messages, two of his former staffers say.

But those messages were exchanged in accounts that his aides monitored as part of their duties and were not romantic in tone, the staffers said.

Jill Kelley notified a friend of hers who worked for the FBI of the emails, and he referred the case to a cyber crimes unit.

That agent was later banned from the FBI’s investigation into the source of the emails when officials discovered that he was sending shirtless photographs to Jill Kelley and seemed to become “obsessed” with the case, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The FBI investigated her claims and traced the emails to an account set up by Paula Broadwell. As they looked into the account, they found she had exchanged intimate emails with a private Gmail account.

Further investigation revealed it belonged to David Petraeus, who was using an alias.

Jill Kelley made headlines this week after it emerged that she was the target of harassing emails from Paula Broadwell

Jill Kelley made headlines this week after it emerged that she was the target of harassing emails from Paula Broadwell

Jill Kelley, 37, is a volunteer who organizes social events for military families in the Tampa area.

Her husband, Dr. Scott Kelley, is a highly sought-after surgeon who specializes in a rare type of minimally invasive surgery to cure cancer of the esophagus.

Jill Kelley was a medical student at one point, but put her studies on hold to have a baby, according to 2003 story in the St. Petersburg Times.

She often hosts the events at her million-dollar home located only a couple of miles from MacDill Air Force base, where Allen served from July 2008 to June 2011.

Jill Kelley’s twin sister Natalie Khawam also makes the most of the parties, becoming close with major players, including both David Petraeus and John Allen, who wrote letters on her behalf as she battled her ex-husband for custody of her son, ABC reported.

A senior official told the Associated Press that 20,000 to 30,000 pages of emails and other documents from John Allen’s communications with Jill Kelley between 2010 and 2012 are under review.

A friend of the couple said Scott Kelley would not have know about the vast number of emails being exchanged by his wife and General John Allen.

“Knowing Scott, there is no way he would have approved of Jill sending so many emails to another man,” said the friend.

“What husband would be happy to see his wife sending so many different messages to another man, even if he is overseas and serving his country?”

Another friend, who has known Jill Kelley for almost a decade, added: “This has come as a complete shock. You never know what goes on behind closed doors, but no one in her circle saw this coming.

“Jill was well known for throwing parties where the military attended and she reveled in her role as honorary ambassador but sending all those emails to a general is another thing.”

Her brother, David Khawam, has also revealed their fear that she will be branded the “other woman”.

Speaking to the Today show, David Khawam said: “This is something that is going to brand her for life.

“My sister, number one, is a mother. She has three kids and is extremely dedicated to those kids.

“Number two she is a wife. She is extremely dedicated to her husband and he to her. For her to have an affair with General Petraeus is ludicrous.”

He added that he expected his sister, who has hired the crisis management firm employed by Monica Lewinsky and the attorney who represented John Edwards earlier this year, to address reports about her involvement with two of the top US military chiefs.

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Friends of Jill Kelley, the Tampa housewife who exposed David Petraeus’ affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell, have suggested her husband tipped off the FBI about the “threatening” emails his wife was receiving from the woman.

The emails telling Jill Kelley to “back off” sparked the investigation that uncovered David Petraeus’ affair with Paula Broadwell and led to the CIA boss’ dramatic resignation on Friday.

The friends’ claims come as Jill Kelley, who became friend with Petraeus after working alongside him as a liaison officer at MacDill Air Force Base, was seen strutting outside her Florida mansion.

Jill Kelley was dressed in an eye-catching canary yellow suit as she swooped past reporters swarming the $1.3 million home she shares with her husband and their three children.

She climbed into her Mercedes which carries a license plate reading “Honorary Consul” – a nod to her unpaid work with the forces, and a sign she’s not shy about making her high-profile contacts known.

Jill Kelley steps out as friends claim her husband tipped FBI about Paula Broadwell emails

Jill Kelley steps out as friends claim her husband tipped FBI about Paula Broadwell emails

“Jill’s husband Scott is very protective of her, and I’m sure he was the one who said go to the FBI,” said a close friend about the scandal.

“They are a very close couple who are devoted to each other and their children. If his family was being threatened he would not hesitate to go to the police.

“Jill is a very strong woman, but I guess she must have known who these emails were coming from. She would have seen this Paula and seen how close she was to the General. She is very worldly wise and would have guessed.”

Jill Kelley has insisted there was no reason for jealousy as she is nothing more than friends with David Petraeus, whom she met when he was serving at the Tampa base between 2008 and 2010.

She worked as an unpaid, unofficial social liaison for U.S. Central Command, which David Petraeus led, and was reportedly a fixture at parties, along with her husband Scott, a prominent cancer surgeon.