What Broadwell’s e-mails indicate about her character—and about Petraeus’s

USA Today provides a fuller picture of the e-mails received by Gen. Allen and Jill Kelley that set off the investigation. The article brings into sharper relief the nature of Paula Broadwell’s behavior in sending the e-mails, which in turn brings into sharper relief the nature of David Petraeus’s behavior in having an adulterous affair with this loony.

As I’ve complained before, our society (or, rather, their society) seems to respond to every sex scandal in an ad hoc and sub-rational manner. This is because it has no rules or consensus regarding what types of private sexual behavior disqualify a person from a top level government position. Some people believe that any act of adultery is a disqualifier; others believe that adultery in itself is irrelevant.

Since there is no agreement on whether adultery in itself is a disqualifier, let us focus on an aspect of this case on which I don’t think there will be any disagreement. Petraeus, the CIA director, had an extra-marital affair with a woman who was so grossly unstable that she sent those threatening anonymous e-mails to Gen. Allen and Jill Kelley, e-mails that were so improper and alarming that they triggered an FBI investigation which led to the discovery of the affair. Without a question, that shows such poor judgment and poor character on Petraeus’s part that he could not continue in any top-level government position, and in particular as Director of Central Intelligence.

I’m not saying that there may not be other reasons for his dismissal. But I think the one I’ve identified is certain.

Here is the article:

The first nasty e-mail from an account named “Kelley Patrol” puzzled Tampa socialite Jill Kelley, but the fact the mystery e-mailer seemed to know her comings and goings is what alarmed her, according to a source close to the Kelleys. [LA replies: As the reader who sent the article points out, the account name “KelleyPatrol” makes it sound as if someone was monitoring Kelley’s movements in a military fashion.]

That e-mail had arrived in the inbox of Gen. John Allen, commander of the military forces in Afghanistan, in May. It was unsigned, came from an account he didn’t recognize named “Kelley Patrol” and warned him to stay away from Kelley.

It implied that contact with Kelley could “harm his reputation,” said the source, who requested anonymity because of the ongoing FBI investigation. “It was an e-mail that was offensive.”

Allen forwarded the e-mail to Kelley. Kelley, who shared the e-mail with her husband, Scott Kelley, was concerned that someone knew of her plans, said the person, who has direct knowledge of the events and has seen some of the e-mails.

That e-mail and subsequent ones triggered a chain of events that led to CIA Director David Petraeus’ resignation after admitting an extramarital affair with biographer Paula Broadwell. Also, Allen’s nomination to head U.S. European Command and command NATO forces in Europe has been put on hold because of questions about his e-mail exchanges with Kelley, a Tampa socialite with close ties to military leaders at MacDill Air Force Base.

The source, who provided the most detailed timeline yet of Kelley’s actions, said the Kelleys received three to five more anonymous e-mails to their joint account in June. [LA replies: So apparently Broadwell sent one e-mail to Gen. Allen, and then further e-mails to Kelley.] All had a similarly accusatory vein. One e-mail questioned why Kelley was spending time with Allen and Petraeus, a retired general who was Allen’s predecessor in Afghanistan, the person said. Another asked whether Scott Kelley knew what his wife was doing.

The e-mails again implied that the sender had observed Jill Kelley and knew her plans, the source said.

“Again, the concern is not that someone is saying nasty things about Jill, but that someone is stalking them electronically and physically,” the source said.

The concern that someone might be tracking her and the generals and knew of their upcoming trip to Washington prompted Kelley to call an FBI agent she had met more than a year previously at an FBI Citizens Academy. Kelley didn’t act until the third e-mail, the source said.

The FBI agent, who has been identified as Frederick Humphries II, told her he considered the matter serious and would look into it. Kelley provided information to the FBI at the end of June.

Several more e-mails arrived at the beginning of July, but they stopped by August, the source said.

A second FBI agent contacted Kelley in late July or early August to follow up on the investigation, the source said. It was then, that Jill Kelley learned that Broadwell had authored the e-mails, the source said.

Broadwell used at least three different e-mail addresses to send the e-mails. Petraeus is referred to specifically in at least one e-mail, the source said.

“The e-mails reflected that the sender knew where people were or where they were going,” the source said.

Kelley “didn’t know her name” before then, although she did know about the biography, the source said.

“She didn’t make the connection,” the source said. “Petraeus never told Jill to this day that he was having any sort of relationship.”

Posted by Lawrence Auster at November 15, 2012 06:30 PM | Send