Broadwell seeks redemption from Petraeus affair
Paula Broadwell, whose sexual relationship with former decorated Gen. David Petraeus ended his career, is seeking to restore her reputation.
The New York Times published a lengthy profile Saturday detailing Broadwell’s efforts to rebuild her life, including a campaign to convince media groups to drop the word “mistress” from their coverage.
{mosads}Petraeus improperly shared classified material with Broadwell while she was writing a biography of him, an offense that ended his military career and resulted in two years of probation and a $100,000 fine.
Petraeus was broadly viewed as the general who turned around the war in Iraq by promoting greater troop presences and innovative counterinsurgency strategies. He was once considered a promising candidate for president.
That changed after his affair with Broadwell came to light through an FBI investigation. The probe was triggered by a cyber stalking complaint by Jill Kelley, a friend of Petraeus’s who received threatening anonymous emails from Broadwell warning her to stay away from the general.
Broadwell told the Times that she has paid the price for her actions and deserves a second chance. She’s wrestling with either trying to restore her reputation and returning to a career in military intelligence or moving on entirely.
“I’m the first to admit I screwed up,” she told the Times. “Really badly, I know that. But how long does a person pay for their mistake?”
Broadwell was married with children at the time of the affair and is still with her husband, a radiologist.
“My husband says I just need to walk away,” she told the paper.
One option is a career in public advocacy.
She and a friend, Kyleanne Hunter, who served in the Marines, have formed a group named Think Broader to discourage gender bias in the media.
The Times reported that Broadwell has reached out to an array of prominent media figures including CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, CBS’s Norah O’Donnell and Politico’s Susan Glasser to ask them to stop using the word “mistress” in their coverage.
The Associated Press has advised using “companion” or “lover” instead of “mistress” in its updated style guide, the Times noted in its report.
Broadwell also volunteers for a group that serves the victims of human trafficking and is a member of an opera club.
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