Jill Kelley, the "other woman" in the scandal that cost CIA director David Petraeus his job, has lawyered up, reports Donna Leinwand Leger at USA Today.
Kelley, an "unpaid social liaison" at MacDill Air Force Base, has hired DC superlawyer Abbe Lowell and crisis PR person Judy Smith.
The Petraeus investigation was allegedly triggered by hostile emails from his biographer and mistress Paula Broadwell to Kelley. She felt like she was being harassed by Broadwell and reported the emails to the FBI.
John Cook at Gawker notes that this is some "very expensive firepower," considering that the FBI is no longer investigating and there aren't any criminal allegations being thrown around.
From Cook:
Even if Kelley simply found it prudent to keep a lawyer handy—why Lowell? It's like hiring David Boies because your friend got a speeding ticket. Lowell is the quintessential Washington power broker. He represented Clinton before the Senate during his impeachment trial. He specializes in disgraced political figures, including John Edwards. He's the kind of guy you hire when you're seriously ******.
As for Smith, she has represented big-name folks like Monica Lewinsky, Larry Craig, Michael Vick and Kobe Bryant.
Here's the statement Smith issued Sunday for the Kelleys:
"We and our family have been friends with General Petraeus and his family for over 5 years. We respect his and his family's privacy and want the same for us and our three children."
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