Jill Kelley suing feds over violations of privacy

The woman who reported harassment to the FBI, setting off the chain of events that ultimately ended the careers of Generals David Petraeus and John Allen, is now suing the government.

Jill Kelley and her husband, Dr. Scott Kelley, have filed a lawsuit against the FBI, the Department of Defense and other unnamed government officials, alleging violations of privacy in the fallout after she reported Paula Broadwell to the FBI.

The Kelley's suit accuses officials -- although it does not specify anyone by name -- of wrongfully searching personal emails and leaking information to the media.

"Defendants violated their legal duty to protect the Kelleys’ privacy, dignity, reputation, and security, and instead started, engaged with, and fomented a malicious campaign of “blame the victim” that has taken a tremendous emotional and financial toll on the Kelleys and their three young daughters, and even threatened their physical safety," the 65-page suit says.

Kelley also says she was forced to answer uncomfortable -- and, as it turned out, baseless -- questions about her relationship with both generals in an FBI van.

"Such treatment was the product of sexual discrimination and stereotyping by Defendants," the suit says. "It is a recrudescence of an older culture where ambitious, attractive, vivacious and intelligent women were shamefully reduced to mere sex objects and publicly humbled when they dared to lean in to leadership roles."

The Kelleys are seeking unspecified damages and an apology.