Hacker Forces Colin Powell To Deny Affair

[avaistheone1]

Source: Smoking Gun

AUGUST 1--As a notorious hacker seeks to distribute “very personal” e-mails sent to Colin Powell by a female Romanian diplomat, the retired general is denying that he engaged in an extramarital affair with the woman while he served as Secretary of State, though he recently advised her to delete all their online exchanges, The Smoking Gun has learned.

In a statement addressing his relationship with Corina Cretu, a member of the European Parliament who previously held a series of senior posts in the Romanian government, Powell, 76, wrote that he has known Cretu for about 10 years, having first met her “when I was the Secretary of State and she was an assistant to the President of Romania. We occasionally attended the same diplomatic and international meetings.”

Powell, who served in President George W. Bush’s cabinet for four years, said that he kept in touch with Cretu, 45, by e-mail after leaving the State Department in January 2005. “Over time the emails became of a very personal nature, but did not result in an affair. Those type of emails ended a few years ago. There was no affair then and there is not one now,” Powell added.

Powell issued his statement (a copy of which can be found here) to TSG after a reporter sought to question him about the content of Cretu’s 2010 and 2011 correspondence, which was posted online this week. “This note responds to a series of posts placed by a ‘hacker,’” Powell wrote.

Read more: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/colin-powell-guccifer-email-hack-594321

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Former Secretary Colin Powell's response to The Smoking Gun:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/file/colin-powell-response?page=0

[ForgoTheConsequence]

1. He'll be crucified by the press for this.

But not for the Iraq war.

Priorities.

[AtheistCrusader]

3. He'll get it from the right too, over his endorsement of Obama.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Ok, what is in the water in DC?

[pinboy3niner]

12. Viagra

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. Lmao "snort"

[wordpix]

55. arrogance and narcisism

[Laurian]

4. Well damn, is there any man who will not compromise himself

for sexual favors? I'm beginning to think not.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. Crass joke, warning will Robinson...

Men have two heads, and one does the thinking.

[matthews]

18. And the other one has absolutely no conscience whatsoever. nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

22. There you go

I warned of the crass joke for obvious reasons.

[matthews]

23. Yeah, I figured. But I couldn't resist! nt

[7962]

6. I've been offering, but so far I havent had any takers......

Guess i should run for office first

[Laurian]

10. Gain office, power or money and sexual opportunity is

apparently part of the deal. I understand that there is no shortage of power groupies, but still, how about a little self control.

[cosmicone]

7. Were there pictures of mobile bioterrorism labs? n/t

[Skittles]

8. the man pimped for a war based on lies

who cares who he was f***ing?

[KoKo]

24. I care...because a "Pimp is a Pimp" and Colin Powell has "Played the Game." n/t

[bucolic_frolic]

9. It's barely the beginning

There's every email ever written in storage.

[Hubert Flottz]

11. I knew he was a republican at heart all along.

Of course Gawd, (who is reported to be a hard core republican servant) has long since forgiven his every indiscretion.

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. So this explains the two (actually three) democratic sex scandals?

Filner, wiener and this.



http://www.examiner.com/article/rep-alcee-hastings-sex-harassment-case-to-proceed-rules-judge

Sorry if I do not buy into the only Republicans do this crap school of thought

[Hubert Flottz]

20. The difference is...

A republican is given instant forgiveness and a democrat never is forgiven.

Hell a republican can even be forgiven for crimes that the Nazis were hanged for.

[nadinbrzezinski]

21. Really? Okie dokie

if you chose to live in that fantasy.

By the way, you think it is ok that a member of congress engages in unwanted sexual advances? You do know it is against House and Senate Policy through the Office of Compliance, created in 1995 by an Act of Congress to deal with this shit right?

[KoKo]

26. Nadin...we need to see more about Powell..but agree about them Not Complying with

From You:

You do know it is against House and Senate Policy through the Office of Compliance, created in 1995 by an Act of Congress to deal with this shit right?

I'll take your word that there is a Policy against this.

But where are the MORALS with these folks who go to DC and land in some Bubble where they think they can Stick their Dick or Expose their Vagina for GAIN AND PROFIT?

What is Going On?

[nadinbrzezinski]

27. I don't want you to take my word for it

http://www.compliance.gov/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Newsletter-for-Staff.pdf

This is the cliffs notes

As to why they do what they do? Power...and truly believing they are above us.

I am so sick and tired of the only republicans do it meme. This is powerful men, in powerful positions...getting away with it. Why? People are afraid of powerful men, or believe in myths.

[KoKo]

28. "Absolute Power...Corrupts Absolutely!" Got It...and we see it

Playing Out...

I think that's what you were trying to get out there.

[nadinbrzezinski]

29. Yup

And we need to hold all these jockers accountable, regardless of party

[Hubert Flottz]

32. "You do know"

Yes I know, but do you know that the law makers and their benefactors are "Too Big To Jail"

Do you know that I've been here a long time and that I usually agree with you.

I don't like stupid democrats in Washington, any better than I like the stupid republicans there. I'm for the USA, that I learned about in Civics classes and that I donated two years of my young life, to faithfully serve Uncle Sugar in my little green uniform from hell. I didn't shit my pants, I didn't complain about a boil on my ass and I didn't have more important things to do. I don't think I do live in a fantasy and I do resent your personal attack on me. I thought we were friends, but I'm learning to live with disappointments.

[nadinbrzezinski]

33. Sorry...but I am just tired of the only republicans do it

As in very tired of it

[KoKo]

35. We've heard that "Meme" so often we are expected to STAND UP AND SALUTE!

"Man from Hope Arkansas" then the "Interim Stolen Election".....then the "Man from Hope and Change you Can Believe In."

It does wear thin...when the the ONLY CHANGE is Wall Street Rape of Taxpayers and Austerity for us All...with little hope of Change...because it's the REPUGS IN CONGRESS who are "supposed" to be DOING THIS! YES...they Keep Selling this...over and over.

It's like we are DUMBED DOWN TO NOTHING. Just "Get Your ASS OUT AND VOTE!" FOR WHAT?

Oh YEAH...do that and see what comes down ...

[nadinbrzezinski]

36. And some of us are actually covering a current scandal

And watching the local Democratic Party (who was told) in full cya, who us? Mode.

[Hubert Flottz]

37. I never did say that only republicans do it...

I said that only republicans are granted instant forgiveness, supposedly by God and their wives, but that the republicans and the media NEVER forgive a democrat for the same things. Take Dave Vitter for example.

[nadinbrzezinski]

40. That is partly we the people

As is...locally we have had one mayor finish two terms in twenty years. Only one, latest scandal, is a democrat. So yes, blame local media as well...

The rest, all Republicans,...oh the scandals!!!!

But personally I give a pass to vitter as much as I do to Filner, difference I am not in Vitters district. Or in Vitter's media market. Otoh I am not just in Filner's district, I voted for him, and I get to cover this very "minor" scandal.

It is up to the people in many ways not to tolerate this crap regardless of party, and it starts with every one of us.

[Hubert Flottz]

41. I agree that we should not tolerate it.

Those elected people promise to do the job they are paid to do. They need to wait until they are out of public office, before they start acting like perverted junior high school fools.

The kinky politicians remind me of the Castro guy today, trying to excuse his horrible actions by saying that he has a, "sexual sickness."

People who demand respect, need to earn that respect 24/7, IMHO.

[nadinbrzezinski]

42. Now you know why I am tired of that meme

That said, I will play devil's advocate for the moment,, and why Castro and a few pols belong first in the psych ward and not necessarily prison, or at least in his case not yet.

They all share a disease, one we should strive to find early. And when caught, they belong in the hospital. A less vengeful society would consider treatment before formal prison.

That said, Castro cannot be ever released into normal society, but treatment might let him realize what he did.

The denial from Filner, Vitter, Wiener, Craig is up there too. These men are delusional. Just that Castro went to an extreme in behavior...but quite frankly I see them in a continuum.

On the good news, the women in the Castro case, and the women in the Filner case have not seen media feeding frenzy and people believe them...so perhaps we are seeing an important paradigm change. The women abused and raped by Castro, the observation was made by a Harris Perry guest, were not out through the media wringer.

. The women here, I have heard that, and noticed we are treating them with the respect due and nobody in the media is persecuting them. Now don't get me started on the Filner for Mayor Facebook page. Some of the theories there are just bizarre.

So perhaps we are starting to grow up as a society.

One can hope.

[JDPriestly]

45. Women really get hurt by sexual harassment.

And I think men do it because it makes them feel powerful. It is a power play. it is very different from consensual sex. Being the victim of sexual harassment is very demeaning. If you consent to an illicit sexual relationship and get caught, you have only yourself to blame. But if a powerful man like Filner or Wiener, etc. decides to harass you, unfortunately, many people blame you. Of course, sexual harassment is not limited to one gender or one political party.

[nadinbrzezinski]

50. In this case the women have not been blamed

To the surprise, I am sure, of the perpetrator

[kestrel91316]

14. He's a private citizen. I don't care.

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. The only reason I care a tad

Is he did it while being SOS.

I gotta wonder how related this is to men in power...regardless of letter behind names.

[oberliner]

17. "bathing suit photos… Never anything improper."

“She sent photos on a regular basis. Lots of family photos with her nieces, who she adores, family reunions, formal business sessions, her wedding and some bathing suit photos… Never anything improper.”

“This was a friendship that electronically became very personal and then back to normal,” said Powell.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/colin-powell-guccifer-email-hack-594321

Is it not improper to send bathing suit photos?

[nadinbrzezinski]

25. In other cultures, no, not really

In the US...could be, we are that prudish

[oberliner]

30. Really?

If you are married and sending bathing suit photos to someone you aren't married to - that's not at all improper?

[nadinbrzezinski]

31. Nope...Italians for example do it

She's Eastern European, far less prudish than Americans.

Hell, even Mexican TV Commercials are a lot more risqué than American commercials. European, would drive Americans nuts. Some of them might be R in the US.

[KoKo]

38. So maybe he was just doing a Weiner? Maybe sending his "stuff" over to her

so she could admire?

[JDPriestly]

46. Maybe she had a crush on him. That does not equal an affair.

[oberliner]

47. Maybe so

All I am saying is that I don't think it is proper to send bathing suit photos in the context described - so I thought it was odd that he would list that as an example of something that was not improper.

[JDPriestly]

48. If she was wearing a bathing suit at the beach while on her vacation and sent him a picture

of her vacation photos including that one, it would not be improper although it would be very personal. She is young enough to be his granddaughter.

[Simian20]

49. Google Corina Cretu

She's pretty now, and keep in mind that Powell kept up this "relationship" 10 years ago.

We've got pictures of Powell standing side by side at public affairs; so compared to Weiner, they actually met.

Yes, what goes on the Internet, stays on the Internet, owing to Guccifer:
"Hacker Publishes “Very Personal” Emails, Bikini Photos, Forces Colin Powell To Deny Affair with Foreign Diplomat"
Read more: http://joemiller.us/2013/08/hacker-forces-colin-powell-to-deny-affair/#ixzz2aoU0pGJJ

"Hacker Forces Colin Powell To Deny Affair
Ex-Secretary of State told foreign diplomat to delete her e-mails"
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/colin-powell-guccifer-email-hack-594321

No affair, but "personal." Uh oh.
“Over time the emails became of a very personal nature, but did not result in an affair. Those type of emails ended a few years ago. There was no affair then and there is not one now.”
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/colin-powell-affair-article-1.1415208

To Powell's credit, Cretu's affection hasn't been reciprocated.

[Solly Mack]

19. lololol

[DeSwiss]

34. Mai Lai. :-| n/t

[KoKo]

39. Yep...and amazing how he A'ROSE ABOVE THAT...Isn't it.

He became a revered figure...even though he had covered that up.

[UTUSN]

43. R#4 & K for, O.K., fine, now, can we get to My Lai, Colon?!1 (not to mention rest of yr resume) n/t

[GliderGuider]

44. What happens on the internet, stays on the internet. nt

[Blasphemer]

51. Those e-mails should never have been released

If you're a hacker looking for proof of actions that are in the public interest to know about, that's one thing. But this is clearly a completely private matter. I feel sorry for the woman in question. She wrote private e-mails expressing her love for a married (and apparently uninterested man) and now it's public knowledge. I'm not even concerned about he fact that he's a private citizen since he still consults with government officials and it's still possible he could be involved in shady dealings. This is akin to hacking celebrity cell phones - it's really out of bounds. It'd be one thing if he was caught kissing this woman in public - but private e-mails? That's really out of line.

[oberliner]

53. Does the same go for Anthony Weiner?

His tweeting was meant to be private as well, wasn't it?

[Blasphemer]

54. The difference is that there was no hacking involved

It started with a tweet he made public and then his tweeting/texting partners came forward. That's quite different than having a private e-mail/twitter account hacked by an uninvolved third party. If the woman in question released Powell's e-mails, it would be very different.

[CTyankee]

52. This thing has a very familiar ring to it...it's like an old movie you run across as you are

flipping through channels on your TV...these denials are sounding kinda tinny and I hate to say this, but there may be more to come and it may be more revealing...if so, I think it is more sad (particularly for his wife) than anything else. I can actually see how something could develop between two people in such highly rarified circles who might be lonely at a particular time and find solace in each others company...

[Sunlei]

56. this 'hacker' is pretty selective. wonder how many thousands of old aol

and private emails 'they' have raked through to find gold.

funny, one young man guesses palins stupid yahoo password and gets 3 years federal prison.

This person 'hacker' does a better job than a trillion dollar homeland security empire...and never gets caught.

[DeSwiss]

57. Hehehehe....

[center]
''...wanna be starting something, got to be starting something....''[/center]

- Romanians are strange......

[mstinamotorcity2]

58. A bunch of Bullshit!!!

Every aspect of a person's life is not always our frigging business. what ever that man did or did not do is not for me to sit around and contemplate about. It is right wing fodder. something they are good at. It seems to me that Democratic members know this. We all know that all of Washington is screwing somebody. Or maybe posing in a diaper. Or spending thousands on ladies of the evening. Or maybe you get caught as Speaker of the house in a love triangle and make a hasty retreat. Or maybe you are speaker of the House and you have been caught out about town with a lovely woman who is not your wife. On several occasions. These things are known. Give us a Break!!!