A Florida woman ensnared in the scandal that ultimately caused David Petraeus to resign as CIA director is dropping her lawsuit against the federal government.
Jill Kelley, a socialite from Tampa, and her husband, Scott, sued because she said federal officials released her name and other personal information after she received threatening emails from Paula Broadwell, Petraeus’ biographer who was later discovered to be his mistress. The emails eventually led investigators on a path culminating in Petraeus’ resignation, but Kelley said her privacy was violated in the process.
Now, citing disagreements with her attorneys, she is dropping her case.
“Unfortunately I had no choice but to dismiss our case against the federal government after warning my attorneys that if they withdrew, it would force me to end my case. The challenges placed by their decision to withdraw so late in the discovery process made it impossible to find replacement counsel,” she said in a statement.
“We will never have that chance to vindicate our rights,” she continued. “And most disheartening that my innocent children will not see justice carried out for those responsible — simply because of profits and political pressures.”
She did not provide further details about why her attorneys decided to withdraw.
Kelley’s involvement in the scandal dates back to June 2012, when former Gen. John Allen, commander of U.S. Central Command, received an email from a mysterious sender which referenced Kelley’s social activities. Kelley and Allen had engaged in email conversations which anonymous officials suggested were inappropriate, but the Kelleys said Jill Kelley and Allen were friends and not romantically involved and claimed such suggestions exposed her to ridicule.
The Kelleys later received similar emails, which investigators determined were sent by Broadwell.
Petraeus resigned in November 2012 after having admitted to carrying out an extramarital affair with someone who was later revealed to be Broadwell. A Pentagon investigation cleared Allen of wrongdoing; he retired from the military in February 2013.
The Justice Department in 2013 previously sought to dismiss Kelley’s lawsuit, which was filed against the FBI, Pentagon and unnamed federal agents.
