Jill Kelley leaves her home in Tampa, Florida. Kelley is identified as the woman who allegedly received harassing emails from Gen. David Petraeus' paramour, Paula Broadwell. AP
- Ms Kelley identified as family friend of Petraeus'
- FBI agent pulled off case for sending Kelley topless photos of himself
- Read what the emails said | Timeline of events
JILL Kelley, the woman who received harassing emails from David Petraeus' girlfriend, is acknowledging her friendship with the former CIA director.
Meanwhile, Petraeus' wife Holly is said to be more than “furious” over his extramarital affair, according to a friend and former colleague.
Mr Petraeus resigned on Friday after admitting to an extramarital affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell. He has been married 38 years to Holly, with whom he has two adult children, including a son who led an infantry platoon in Afghanistan as an Army lieutenant.
Mrs Broadwell, a 40-year-old graduate of the U.S. Military Academy and an Army Reserve officer, is married with two young sons.
The FBI learned of the affair as it was investigating emails sent by Mrs Broadwell to Ms Kelley, who serves as an unpaid social liaison to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.
Mrs Broadwell told Ms Kelley to "stay away from my guy" after believing he had found a new lover.
Retired General David Petraeus with wife Holly, pictured in happier days, before the NFL Super Bowl in 2009. Picture: David J. Phillip
Ms Kelley says she and her family "have been friends with General Petraeus and his family for more than five years."
The Washington Post reports that Ms Kelley was so scared she called the FBI who were concerned that the CIA director's personal e-mail account had been hacked and that national security had been threatened.
Mr Petraeus has told friends he was shocked to find that Broadwell was suspected of sending anonymous, threatening emails to Ms Kelley.
A close Petraeus associate said FBI investigators told Mr Petraeus that Mrs Broadwell sent anonymous emails to Ms Kelley.
Mr Petraeus was not shown the emails, but was told the tone and content seemed threatening to Kelley, prompting her to report them, the associate said. That triggered the investigation that led the FBI to Broadwell and evidence of her affair with Petraeus.
A June 23, 2011 photo shows Paula Broadwell (left) watching as General David Petraeus (R) and his wife Holly Petraeus arrive for a Senate Select Intelligence Committee hearing on Petraeus' nomination to be director the CIA.
Mr Petraeus began an affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell in 2011, two months after he became CIA director, a friend and former top aide said Monday. The case has brewed an uproar in Congress over FBI investigative tactics and the fact lawmakers weren't told soon enough about the probe rocking the intelligence and law enforcement establishment.
As the general was married and had the nations' highest security clearance, the affair was deemed a national security risk and investigated further as it potentially exposed the CIA head to blackmail.
Mr Petraeus, who resigned last week as the nation's head spy, and his family are said to be devastated over the affair, especially his wife Holly, who "is not exactly pleased right now," said Steve Boylan, a friend and former Petraeus spokesman who spoke to Mr Petraeus over the weekend.
"Furious would be an understatement," Mr Boylan told ABC's "Good Morning America." He said Mr Petraeus ended the affair four months ago.
In this January 30, 201 photo, Natalie Khawam, left, General David Petraeus, Scott and Jill Kelley, and Holly Petraeus watch the Gasparilla parade from the comfort of a tent on the Kelley's front lawn in Tampa, Florida. Picture: AP
Mr Boylan said Monday that Mr Petraeus is keenly aware that he has injured his family while losing "one of the best jobs he ever had. He's devastated."
The affair with Mrs Broadwell started about two months after Petraeus took the CIA post, Mr Boylan said. Mr Petraeus became CIA director in September 2011.
But after interviews with Mr Petraeus and Mrs Broadwell it was discovered that Mr Petraeus, one of America's most decorated soldiers and its spy boss was secretly having an affair with the pretty biographer.While in his account, the FBI discovered sexually explicit emails between Mr Petraeus and Mrs Broadwell - reportedly including one which made references to engaging in sex under a desk - other reports suggest Mrs Broadwell split from Mr Petraeus in 2011, and that the general continued to pursue her with hundreds of emails during the past year.
The emails involved in the matter were in most instances sent from the personal account, not his CIA one.
The retired four-star general was a leading commander in both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars following 9/11. He was credited with the counter-offensive surge strategy that tamed the Iraq insurgency.
Known as a straight shooter, he was highly regarded on both sides of the political aisle. Republicans touted him as a potential presidential candidate, while President Barack Obama made him part of his cabinet.
The president will likely have to replace not only departing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, but also Defence Secretary Leon Panetta and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner.
One name being floated as a possible Petraeus replacement is John Brennan, the White House counter-terrorism adviser and a CIA veteran who has played an instrumental role in Obama's drone war against al-Qaeda militants.
The most celebrated military officer of his generation, Petraeus took over at the CIA a little more than a year ago.
Mrs Broadwell, who lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her radiologist husband Dr Scott Broadwell and their two young sons Lucien and Lando, was embedded with Mr Petraeus in Afghanistan.
Davis Petraeus, left, shakes hands with his biographer Paula Broadwell, co-author of All In: The Education of General David Petraeus, pictured together in July 2011.
Petraeus had been scheduled to appear before congressional committees on Thursday to testify about the September 11 attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens. Morell was expected to testify in place of Petraeus, and lawmakers said he should have the answers to their questions.
But Feinstein and others didn't rule out the possibility that Congress will compel Petraeus to testify about Benghazi at a later date, even though he's relinquished his job.
David Petraeus and Paula Broadwell together.
