Two women in Petraeus sex scandal lose security clearance

Paula Broadwell and Jill Kelley / Getty

WASHINGTON The military has suspended U.S. Army security clearance for former CIA director David Petraeus' mistress as well as the Air Force base pass of the Tampa socialite who sparked the ongoing sex scandal that led to his resignation.

CBS News correspondent Bob Orr reports that biographer Paula Broadwell, a former Army intelligence officer, had her security clearance suspended. Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Steven Warren told The Associated Press the decision to indefinitely suspend Jill Kelley's pass to MacDill Air Force Base was made in the last couple of days.

Kelley's complaints about threatening emails triggered the FBI investigation that led to the resignation of CIA Director David Petraeus and a probe into communications between her and the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan. Petraeus had resigned on Friday after admitting to an extramarital affair with Broadwell, his biographer.

• Timeline: The Petraeus affair
• Feinstein: Petraeus willing to testify on Benghazi
• Obama: No evidence classified info compromised in Petraeus scandal

Warren said it was decided the pass suspension would be in the best interest of the Air Force base community. Kelley can still enter the base but now must report to the visitor center and sign in like everyone who doesn't have a pass.

Play Video

Who is Jill Kelley?

Play Video

Jill Kelley: New details on her role in scandal

Kelley, who has identified herself as an informal liaison for the military community, met Petraeus five years ago while doing charitable work for Army families. She and her husband often attend events at the military's Central Command in Tampa. Petraeus, and other top military brass, have been guests of the couples own lavish parties hosted at their own Tampa home.

Threatened by news vans camped outside her stately home since the scandal broke, she tried to use her credentials to get diplomatic protection. In a phone call to 911, she complained that media had descended on her two-story, five-bedroom brick home overlooking Tampa Bay, which was purchased in 2004 for $1.5 million.

"You know, I don't know if by any chance, because I'm an honorary consul general, so I have inviolability, so they should not be able to cross my property," she told the 911 dispatcher Monday. "I don't know if you want to get diplomatic protection involved as well.

Kelley was also appointed honorary consul for South Korea for the city of Tampa several months ago, and still holds that position, said Kristen Smith, executive assistant at the South Korean consulate in Atlanta, which also covers Florida. Smith didn't know how Kelley got the honor and did not know specifically what she did on behalf of South Korea.

Nearly all lines in the tangled sex scandal involving Petraeus lead back to Kelley, whose complaint about anonymous, threatening emails triggered the FBI investigation that led to the general's downfall as director of the CIA and the uncovering of his affair with Broadwell. And now Kelley is in the middle of an investigation of Gen. John Allen, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, over alleged "inappropriate communications" between the two.

A senior official told CBS News correspondent David Martin the vast majority of the emails between Allen and Kelly were "completely innocuous" and the general believes many of the 20-30,000 pages under scrutiny are duplicates.

Kelley would email things like, "saw you on television and you were terrific," and Allen responded, "thanks, sweetheart." The official said the two never discussed sex and that Allen had never been alone with Kelley.

Nonetheless, Pentagon and FBI sources told CBS News correspondent Bob Orr the communications, if made public, "would be embarrassing" and another source said they were likely more than just innocent exchanges - noting that the Pentagon's Inspector General is involved for a reason.

Sources tell CBS News that investigators are focusing on an anonymous email from several months ago that is believed to have come from Broadwell. Broadwell allegedly warned Gen. Allen that Kelly was "a seductress."

Broadwell allegedly sent similar warning to other military officers at the U.S. Central Command.

Both Kelley and Allen deny having an affair or any physical relationship.

Play Video

Petraeus scandal raises issues for Obama

Play Video

Obama: No evidence Petraeus scandal hurt national security

At a news conference Wednesday, President Barack Obama said he has seen no evidence to suggest that classified information was compromised because of the scandal. Obama said Petraeus did not meet his own standards to serve as CIA director because of his improper relationship with Broadwell.

Court documents obtained by The Associated Press also detail financial troubles for the Kelleys and Jill Kelley's twin sister, Natalie Khawam, who lived with the couple.

Chase Bank sued Scott Kelley in 2010 over a $25,880 unpaid credit card bill, and an investment by the Kelleys in a Tampa office building turned into a dispute with the tenant over $28,000-a-month rent. The couple didn't pay the mortgage and entered into foreclosure.

Attorney Barry Cohen represented the Kelleys in the case, but they turned around and sued him over legal fees, claiming he overcharged them by $5,000. The suit was dismissed, but court documents did not say what happened.

[SuzannahbTroy]

http://youtu.be/SNmntH6g0fY my video response the news behind all the smoke and mirrors that appears to be news but is really Jill Kelley's auction tape for a bad reality tv show. I use humor like Joan Rivers meets Mike Wallace. I ask if Jill Kelley is a one woman terrorist org. but stick with and list. Thanks, Suzannnah B. Troy artist

[Mick_from_Amsterdam]

I see a briefly lucrative, if not a very honor-filled future for this Jill Kelley creature...not as an "honorary consul" who imagines herself "inviolable," her own person sacrosanct......but as yet another semi-attractive female hustler who is most anxious to bend over for FauxNews, while telling the "real story"...for a fee that far exceeds her true, rather meager worth

I believe that she is chiefly responsible for creating this situation and having her FBI minion, Fredrick Humphries, leak her vile story to congressional GOP members for her own grasping, egocentric and revenge-laden ends.

Apparently, she was anticipating a much earlier release of all the salacious, career-ending and perhaps election-altering details and so sent in her own personal FBI man to inform to congress for her

I also believe this Kelley thingee (funny...she doesn't LOOK Irish)...

Is the type of caring, compassionate woman who will slit your throat without the slightest emotional display...then furiously kick you in the nuts for bleeding on her shoes

Paula Broadwell?

Just another groupie for general officers...who was played like a Stradivarius...and who arrogantly and foolishly believed herself too close to the centers of power to ever be rendered visible to the public.

Kelley has probably ruined the careers and marriages of two fine men who served their country long, faithfully and well...and hopefully the career of an odious rogue FBI agent who should do serious time before beginning his new career in the fast-food business...

If he can find anyone willing to employ him over a morally superior, dope-smoking high school dropout

[flavia47]

Apparently Petraeus was only one of her 'conquests'. Lara's a high testosterone Alpha-female.

Which lends some credence to her playing Petraeus on behalf of the Israelites.

[luthern79]

Additional comments Sports and entertainment figures often attract "groupies." Apparently this also holds true for Generals in the US military. This is certainly the case for the two or three women here.The CIA head has already paid for his indiscretions but General Allen who transmitted 20-30,000 messages to his" groupies", must be reprimanded severely.He must be some super general if he can generate this volume of stuff and still do his job.

[pedalit]

occupation doesn't matter! ugly, fat, bald, disabled, etc...dude got power and or money and or fame (the 3 best currencies) , he got chix. dating is inherently legal prostitution.

[luthern79]

The report this morning is that Paula had classified data on her computer. When I was working for a defense contractor years ago, rigid rules were in effect that 1) classified data was not be taken home and that if it was urgent, it was to stored in a secured location 2)NO material was to be put on any unsecured computer Period!!! What happened to these rules? Example, the Sandy Berger flap sometime ago.

[Bleddyn71]

Sandy berger got off lightly because of political connections ( see a repeat here)

[nohater]

there must not be much of any kind of security if these women were given security clearances. no one should get a security clearance unless working on actual military, defense, business as a contractor or military personnel. the individuals who requested or authorized these security clearances should be punished in some way.

[kbbpll]

I got my security clearance online at ussecurityclearance.com.

[tahoeprogressive]

When I was on active duty years ago, I had a Top Secret Crypto clearance but on was able to view classified material on a need to know basis. Just because of the clearance didn't mean I could see everything. Wonder if times have changed or if it's because of the rank of the individual military members involved.

[waygone]

"Army intelligence", ha, that's funny.

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

Forclosed property, unpaid credit card bills and lavish parties.
There people are eat up with the dumb ass.....

[PhoenixBuckeye]

This is the kind of rich that should have their tax rates raised.

[Uneed2BWeened]

PHOENIXBUCKEYE- If they don't have any money how do you raise their taxes.
USMC- Are you speaking to the women or the government or all inclusively?

[bois-darc]

DoD needs to terminate all such programs in the name of national security. This type of access gains us nothing.

[pbcityvet]

Apparently all of our national security secrets can be sold for a piece of a$$.

[Bleddyn71]

Talk to bill clinton.....