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Ex-mistress ‘shocked’ Petraeus is being considered for cabinet

Former CIA Director David Pet­raeus’ ex-mistress said Thursday she can’t understand how he’s being considered for a high-level position in๊ the Trump administration while she’🌺s struggling to get by.

Four years after their affair rocked the national-s ecurity community and cost him his post, Paula Broadwell said she decided to speak out because it was time to “fight back” for hᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚer life.

“I’ve been strongly advised to not talk to the press, andไ I understand that. Sometimes it’s better to remain silent. I’ve had that philosophy for the last five years,”

“But I’ve reached a point where I feel like, ‘You know what? I nee♎d to fight back for my life.’ ”

Broadwell, who wrote a🌸 glowing biography of Petraeus, revealed that she’s waiting for the Army to accept the paperwork for her resignation from the Reserves.

She said she has been♐ punished for her affair and was even denied a banking job because her hir༒ing would be “front-page news.”

Petraeus, a highly decorated four-sta♏r general, was forced to resign as CIA chief in 2012 when their af🌳fair became public.

Last year, as she was compiling his life story.

She was scheduled to be promoted in ꦬthe Army Res🌠erve to lieutenant colonel — but was blocked when the scandal broke.

Bꦕroadwell said she had no issue with Petraeus’ qualifi﷽cations, saying he was “unequally qualified for many positions.”

But she also said sh๊e was caught off guard that he might be returning to government in a sen𓆉ior position as her life has stalled.

“As I woke up to the news, you know, it was a bit of a shocker that he was being considered for a Cabinet position, and I was — I was both shocked that I’m still in this tenuous position, and🍃 yet happy because I think he should be able to go on with♛ his life. He’s earned it, and so should his family. But then it begged the question of, ‘Why shouldn’t I be able to go on?’ ” she said.

Petraܫeu♑s met with President-elect Donald Trump on Nov. 28 as one of several contenders for secretary of st💃ate.

Since then, Trump h💮as expanded his search and sources said Petraeus is no longer bel♊ieved to be in contention.

Petraeus has long fascinated Broadwell, who has called h𝐆im a “relentless mentor” and a “transformational” leader.

In h🍎er book, she described her ex-lover💟 as perhaps the most “influential” military leader of the last half-century.

Their affair was discovere▨d by the FBI, which was investigating a separate e-mail case involving a civilian and top generals.

There was a time, however, where Petraeus’ future did not look so bright: