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Subscribe to RSSGen. Allen, who had been investigated after emailing a Tampa socialite involved in the David Petraeus scandal, had not engaged in inappropriate behavior according to the Department of Defense Inspector General. NBC's Brian Williams reports.
The Defense Department’s inspector general has found that allegations that Gen. John Allen engaged in inappropriate behavior in emails he exchanged with Tampa, Fla., socialite Jill Kelley were unsubstantiated.
"The IG cleared him," a defense official told NBC News, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Allen, the current commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, has been nominated to be Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, but that promotion was put on hold when the IG investigation began. The defense official stressed that no decision has been made yet on whether his nomination will go forward again.
A statement Wednesday by the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan on behalf of Allen said he had been informed that investigators “the allegations against him were unsubstantiated and … that he did not violate the requirement of exemplary conduct or the prohibition against conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman. “
“He's obviously pleased by the outcome,” it said. “But more critically, he is grateful for the support he received throughout this process from his chain of command, friends, family and colleagues. He remains focused, as he has always been, on leading the brave men and women of the ISAF team."
Allen’s nomination was jeopardized in mid-November when it was revealed that he had exchanged emails with Kelley that some Pentagon officials at the time characterized as “inappropriate” and “flirtatious.”
Allen had met Kelley when he was commander of MacDill Air Force Base outside Tampa, where she served as a volunteer “social liaison.”
She inadvertently drew him into the scandal that led to the resignation of former CIA Director David Petraeus by complaining to an FBI agent with whom she was acquainted about anonymous emails referencing Petraeus. Among those emails was one that Allen had forwarded to her in the belief that she had sent it to him as a joke, officials told NBC News at the time.
FBI agents eventually traced the allegedly threatening emails to Paula Broadwell, Petraeus' biographer. That investigation also led to evidence of an extramarital affair between Petraeus and Broadwell, prompting his resignation on Nov. 7. Days later, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced the investigation into Allen’s relationship with Kelley.
Jill Kelley speaks out: 'I knew I was being stalked'
The inspector general’s investigation does not determine guilt or innocence. Rather, it decides whether an allegation is substantiated or not. Even if the finding is that the allegation is unsubstantiated, the IG can still make a recommendation that can harm an officer’s career.
Jim Miklaszewski is NBC News' Chief Pentagon Correspondent; Courtney Kube is an NBC News producer at the Pentagon. Mike Brunker, NBC News investigations editor, contributed to this report.
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Who has military intelligence?
This has to really piss off the ones that wanted this story to be so true.....like CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC. Good old main stream media can't pass up a story to black mark a Decorated US Military man. Now if they would just show some journalistic integrity and hand Hillary her butt on a platter over f'n up and getting good Americans killed in Benghazi.
This is what happens when OUR country is too generous and allows these people to come here. This country has enough problems and our IMMIGRATION DOORS should be slammed shut. This woman is trash and probably a spy.
If he was enlisted they would fine some thing. Rank has its privilege.
The IG is impartial and very thorough. If there is nothing there well there is nothing there. This was all because Allen does not support Obama... so he had to be made a scape goat.
Time for him to retire. I only made E-9, but would imagine this 4-star would have better things to do than send 1,000's of e-mails in this case. And I would bet many, if not all, were on a govt computer during "working hours". Professional misconduct at its best.
First of all your not an E-9. If so you wouldnt be making these ridiculous comments about a highly decorated officer. So quit your lying and crawl back in your hole.
Emails can be hazardous to you career. Never write anything you wouldn't say with your mother standing next to you.
Paula Broadwell has all the info on these guys and the women involved. She has to take a very low profile right now, but just wait. A book and a movie for sure !
Why am I not surprised......
Allen was a target by the Obama administration to discredit him because he sees who Obama really is and what he is trying to do.
Meanwhile not a peep today on the discovery that the AR-15 at Sandy Hook was NOT USED at all in the shootings. In fact it never left the trunk of the car. All people killed were shot with a handgun... 1 of 4 recovered at the scene. More lies by the current administration to attack American rights.
http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50208495#50208495
What exactly is a volunteer "social liaison" and where can I get one ?
"But of course." Was there to be any other outcome? The elite in politics, government and those in high positions in the military will always maintain their elite positions. Hey, you can be involved in what amounts to murder and walk away and still be a beloved politician. Go figure.
Oh good God! Why is it we demand that evryone from every walk of life, whether sports or the military or politics, comport themselves privately as if they were a saint? Can we try for once to view these guys through only the prism of what they do for a living? If Pretaous cheated on his wife, thats between the three of them. Same with Allen and his alleged flirtatious behaviour. Judge them on the basis of their service as officer's, not whether they succumbed to sexual temptation. As Charlie Barkley so perfectly once said, "I'm not a role model; your mother and father are your role models. I'm just a basketball player." Get off the moral high horse America.
He was accused of being involved in threats to some socialite. It wasn't about an affair.
People should be hired and promoted for their merits not for their creed, political party affiliations and family connections. When wrong people are promoted in power they always bring shame and disgrace to their nation. Nations always go down when corrupt leaders rules institutions. Nation should always promote those who possess merits and virtues. Any general writing juicy and filthy e-mails to a woman is a disgrace to any army and the nation. Corrupt generals should not rule any army. Army is the most sacred institution of any nation. It's job is to protect nation from enemies. Leaders are the role models of their subordinates and when they become corrupt subordinates becomes corrupt. Always, people with lower morals happens to be the people in power. This general should resign for his conduct and create an example for others. Bad conduct from a general should never be tolerated by any army.
I'm sure bad conduct is committed by many generals in every army.
"Unsubstantiated"? They didn't want to look very hard because it's obvious to anyone familiar with the case that the good General's behavior was unbecoming ... so to speak.
Gen Allen was the fall guy. They allow Gen Petraesus to retire from the army knowing he violated UCMJ. Gave him the CIA job that he blew and had to resign. Take the heat off CIA, concentrate on Allen. Gen Petraesus email was too hot for him to keep the CIA job. Either way,both Generals are poor example for military personnel. Officers get away with misconduct, enlisted personnel get the hammer.
Check out “The Nature of Life” by Anton Glotser, it’s the best
book on behavior out there