Since she was named as the “other other” woman in the David Petraeus affair, the spotlight has shone on Jill Kelley and her identical twin sister Natalie Khawam.
Jill Kelley and Natalie Khawam have pushed themselves to the point of bankruptcy trying to keep up with the lifestyles of the rich and famous in the Sunshine State with both currently millions of dollars in debt.
Jill Kelley, the woman whose complaint to the FBI over Paula Broadwell’s threatening emails is currently fighting lawsuits worth up to $4 million against banks in Florida.
While her sister Natalie Khawam declared herself bankrupt earlier this year, owing $3.6 million, court filings show.
The twins are well known among the elite political circles of Florida and Natalie Khawam is known to have once dated Charlie Crist, the former Republican governor of Florida from 2003 to 2007.
Indeed, the sister’s GOP links extend all the way to defeated presidential candidate Mitt Romney, whose close ally and Florida Attorney General has attended a function at Jill Kelley’s home.
The two social climbing sisters are even believed to have attended party to bid farewell to the former British ambassador to the U.S. Sir Nigel Sheinweld.
Jill Kelley, who is a married mother of three is renowned for her no-expense spared parties for top military brass who are stationed at the nearby U.S. Central Command.
At one such event at her $1.2 million dollar Tampa mansion she was pictured with General David Petraeus, who arrived in a 28-man police motorcycle escort.
At these parties guests were treated copious amounts of champagne and were even entertained by string quartets while cigars were handed out.
However, keeping up appearances has come at a cost for the social climbing sisters.
Tampa socialite Jill Kelley, 37, and her cancer surgeon husband Scott owe millions to banks after the collapse of their real estate holdings in 2010.
The Kelley’s are currently the targets of at least four indebtedness lawsuits and two foreclosures in Hillsborough County, according to court records.
Central Bank have a suit against the Kelleys and Kelly Land Holdings, centered on a three-story office building downtown Tampa.
Court records show they owed the bank nearly $2.2 million, including attorney fees. In 2011, a judge ordered the property to be put up for sale.
Regions Bank, meanwhile, is trying to foreclose on the couple’s historic $1.3million waterfront house, claiming they defaulted on a $271,000-credit line with their five bedroom house as collateral, according to Gossip Extra.
It is currently worth $840,000 and though it is one of the most spectacular on Bayshore Boulevard from the outside, the 1923 built home is in need of repair.
Paintwork on the home is peeling and behind the home the driveway leading to a triple garage is cracked and covered with weeds.
The front lawn, where Jill Kelley would host catered parties attended by the military, remains immaculate but out of sight in an alleyway running at the rear of the property rubbish is piled high against a wall.
“There are obviously financial issues,” said one associate of the Kelley’s.
“Scott goes to work and works his ass off, and Jill takes care of the social stuff, and gets them into the society pages. They are nice people, and I feel sorry for them.”
The friendship between the twins and generals John Allen and David Petraeus has extended to letters supporting Natalie Khawam’s case to overturn a ruling denying her custody of her four-year-old son in Washington earlier this year.
Supplying the court a letter confirming that he knew Natalie Khawam well and had even had her over for Christmas dinner, General David Petraeus testified that she had “a very loving relationship – a mother working hard to provide her son enjoyable, educational and developmental experiences”.
General John Allen made his own intervention two days later by writing on headed notepaper that “she clearly loves” her son.
Going on to say that: “In light of Natalie’s maturity, integrity and steadfast commitment to raising her child, I humbly request your reconsideration of the existing mandated custody settlement.”
In April of this year, Natalie Khawam filed for bankruptcy on more than $3 million in taxes, property debts and loans.
Natalie Khawam is being sued in Florida by her former boss Barry Cohen, who says that she “fraudulently omitted Rolex watches, sable mink furs and a diamond ring” from her bankruptcy filing.
