Kennedy School spokesperson Steven R. Singer agreed.
"We're not in any position to judge her actions as mayor of Washington," Singer said. "That's for the people there to work out with her."
Singer added that he doesn't think the affair will affect the way students perceive Kelly, a leader of one of the IOP's study groups.
"One of the purposes of the IOP fellowships is that students can see public officials up close and can hopefully get a sense of them as people," Singer said.
"Probably one advantage of having her here is that students can question her directly, rather than only reading about it in the newspapers," he concluded.
E. Michelle Drake '97, a member of the IOP Student Advisory Committee, agreed that the charges should not affect Kelly's role in the IOP.
"The reason the IOP fellows are here is that they've had unique, relevant experiences," she said. "Anyone who's been mayor of a city like Washington has a lot of worthwhile things to share."
"[As far as I'm concerned,] it doesn't affect her status as a fellow," Drake said.