From left, Jill Kelley’s twin sister Natalie Khawam, Gen. David Petraeus, Dr. Scott and Mrs Kelley, and Holly Petraeus watch the Gasparilla parade from the Kelley family’s front lawn in Tampa in this 2010 photo.
The woman who blew the whistle on the Gen. Petraeus affair by alerting the FBI to nasty emails from his mistress has been identified as Jill Kelley, who counts the general and his wife as close family friends.
Kelley and her husband, Dr. Scott Kelley, are now in the spotlight because it was Jill’s complaint about threats from Paula Broadwell — warning Jill to stay away from “my man” — that spurred the FBI to examine the Broadwell and Petraeus e-mail accounts, revealing their sexual affair and leading to Petraeus’ resignation as CIA director.
Kelley, 37, described as a “very well-known person of influence in the Tampa community,” holds an unpaid position as a social planner for MacDill Air Force Base, where Petraeus ran the U.S. Central Command.
Here’s what we know about the other other woman.
1. She Insists They Are Only Friends
Kelley and her husband befriended David and Holly Petraeus when the general ran Central Command before serving in Afghanistan and then as CIA director. Kelley is quite active in community organizations that support military causes, and kept a correspondence with Petraeus through e-mails that sparked Broadwell’s jealous streak.
2. Kelley and Her Husband Aren’t Saying Much Yet
They released a statement Sunday, but it didn’t directly address their involvement in the probe or say much about the FBI probe.
Instead, they noted they’d been friends with the Petraeus family for more than five years.
We respect his and his family’s privacy, and want the same for us and our three children.
3. They See Each Other Frequently
A mutual friend told the media Kelley and Petraeus are good friends and see each other often, and Kelley has described Petraeus as being like a grandfather to her family. The Petraeuses in 2010 even attended Tampa Bay’s annual pirate-themed festival, held on the Kelleys’ front lawn. They arrived with a 28-motorcycle escort to the event.
4. She’s the State Department Liaison for the Joint Special Operations Command
The Command works to study and conduct special operations requirements and techniques, and it’s widely known the agency conducts top-secret counter-terrorism missions, encompassing elite units like the Navy SEALS. The JSOC was helped the CIA and Pentagon in the investigation on the attack of the Benghazi compound.
5. She and Broadwell have Children
The Kelleys have three children, while the Broadwells have two.
6. She and Broadwell Are Married to Doctors
Like Paula Broadwell, Jill’s married to a doctor. However, Dr. Scott Kelley is far more prominent than Broadwell’s husband. Dr. Kelly heads the Esophageal Oncology and Surgery division at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer and Research Institute in Tampa, Florida. According to an article in Tampa Bay magazine, he invented minimally invasive, hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery of the esophagus and other gastrointestinal malignancies.
7. She’s Got an Identical Twin and They Appeared on The Food Network
Jill Kelley and her twin, Natalie, competed in Food Fight on the cable network in 2003.
8. Her Kids Like Petraeus
After the pirate party, Kelley’s then-7-year-old daughter, Caroline, posted a family photo album online dedicated to her parents and including family photos that included one of her posing with Petraeus.
“I was with Gen. Petraeus. He came to my house,” Caroline wrote.
9. She Has a Middle Eastern Background
Kelley is from a Lebanese family that moved to Philadelphia in the mid 1970s and owned several restaurants in the area. Kelley’s father is also an accomplished musician in their homeland, and her mother is a chef who likes to entertain political and cultural figures.
10. Broadwell Thought Kelley Was More Involved with Petraeus
Officials say Broadwell reportedly sent threatening emails to Kelley warning her to “stay away from” the now-former CIA director and telling her, “I know what you did.”
And Kelley took the letters as threats, sparking the entire Petraeus investigation.