Broadwell's 'threatening' emails to Florida socialite sparked FBI probe after they detailed Petraeus' movements - as it's revealed she had substantial military documents stored in her home



Paula Broadwell photographed for the first time since the resignation of CIA boss David Petraeus - at her brother's home in Washington D.C.

The 40-year-old mother of two is at the centre of the sex scandal which has claimed the career of retired four-star general Petraeus and threatens that of General John Allen

The affair was uncovered after Broadwell sent threatening messages to Jill Kelley, 37 - telling her to back off from friendship with Petraeus

She also sent emails using the pseudonym 'KelleyPatrol' warning General John Allen about Kelley the 'seductress'



Caused FBI to begin an investigation which led them to uncover 'potentially inappropriate' communication between General Allen, 58, and Kelley

Sources close to that investigation describe the correspondence between Kelley and Allen as like 'phone sex'



Harassing emails sent by Paula Broadwell, the biographer-turned-mistress of David Petraeus, to her perceived love rival, Florida socialite Jill Kelley, contained confidential information about the CIA boss's movements, a law enforcement source has revealed.

After Kelley contacted the FBI, agents launched a massive in-depth investigation into who was sending the emails because they shared this detailed information that was not publicly available.

The catty emails, which told Kelley to 'back off' from Petraeus, were sent to Kelley from several fake email addresses. In order to find who had confidential information about Petraeus' whereabouts, t he FBI obtained an administrative subpoena, and traced them back to Broadwell.

In the course of the investigation, they also unearthed emails indicating the affair between Broadwell and Petraeus, leading to his resignation on Friday.



The new details of what uncovered Petraeus' months-long relationship with his biographer come as the FBI continue to search military documents Broadwell admitted to stashing in her home.

Security officials have revealed she had 'substantial' classified information on her computer which should have been stored more securely .

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Stressed: She could be any other American housewife preparing an evening meal with a glass of wine in her hand - but the strain on the face of Paula Broadwell is all too clear to see

Hideout: Pictured for the first time since news of her scandalous affair the 40-year-old mother-of-two has taken refuge at her brother's house in the Petworth suburb of Washington D.C. Pictured with an unidentified man



The computer was taken from Broadwell's Charlotte, North Carolina home on Monday night after she admitted to FBI investigators that she had taken classified military documents, a source told ABC .

President Obama said on Wednesday there was no indication so far that any classified documents had been found but said he will not prejudge the investigation results.

Officials continue to investigate exactly how Broadwell acquired the files, but as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Military Reserve, she had security clearance to review the documents .

The government had demanded she return the documents and organised the visit to her home. Prosecutors are now deciding whether to charge her with a crime.

Broadwell, who has kept a low profile since the scandal broke, was seen taking refuge at her brother's home in the Mount Pleasant suburb of Washington D.C. on Tuesday night.

Preparing an evening meal with a glass of wine in her hand, the 40-year-old mother-of-two wore the strain of the last few days clearly on her face. There was no sign of her husband, Scott.

Search: FBI agents left Broadwell's Charlotte, NC home on Monday evening with documents and computers



Revealed: It came after she admitted to investigators that she had classified documents at the home



Vigilant: Charlotte-Mecklenburg police stand guard outside Broadwell's house during the FBI search

It was Broadwell's threatening emails to Jill Kelley, a Florida socialite who is a Petraeus family friend that led to the FBI's discovery of the affair between the biographer-turned-mistress and the nation's top spy-chief.

Kelley was also pictured at her home on Tuesday - bizarrely mirroring Broadwell in her hot pink dress as she looked out the window at reporters.

In another jaw-dropping development it has been claimed that Broadwell also sent emails to General John Allen, who leads the U.S. effort in Afghanistan, under the pseudonym 'KelleyPatrol'.

In the messages, she called Kelley, an unpaid social liaison for the military, a 'seductress', warning the general about becoming entangled in a relationship with her.

This in turn led to a dramatic twist when sources close to the internal investigation into the scandal said that General Allen exchanged email's likened to 'phone sex' with 37-year-old Kelley.

General Allen, who is married who two daughters, denies any wrongdoing. Officials claim his emails to Kelley, who is also married with children, were simply friendly and not 'inappropriate' or flirtatious.

However, sources have told Fox News that the emails between the pair were so explicit that they could be compared to 'the equivalent of phone sex over email.'

Another official said that the Defense Secretary Leon Panetta would not have referred this matter to an internal investigator without being sure that he had to - such would the effect be on Allen's family and the U.S. war effort.

Affair: David Petraeus is pictured with Paula Broadwell, his biographer and alleged mistress

Life goes on: Broadwell looked like she was preparing a salad at the home of her brother

Discovered: The house Paula Broadwell is hiding in while she stays in Washington with her brother

'This was a serious enough matter that those who examined the emails thought it should be referred to the secretary of defense, and the secretary made the decision to turn it over to the inspector general,' the official said to Fox News.

'He would not have thrust this into the limelight without good cause.'

Investigators are reviewing between 20,000 to 30,000 pages of emails between Kelley and Allen which date from between 2010 to 2012.

Sources told the Wall Street Journal that Kelley had tried to get the FBI to drop the investigation after it widened its search. She was worried about the personal information that investigators were being given, saying it would only cause bigger problems, they said.

Allen, 58, succeeded Petraeus in Afghanistan and was due to take over as NATO's top commander - but his appointment has been suspended while his relationship with Kelley is investigated.

Bold: Jill Kelley, who tipped off the FBI about emails that uncovered the affair, leaves her home on Tuesday



Standing out: Jill Kelley, who kicked off an FBI probe into General David Petraeus, looks outside her Tampa home as coverage of his affair with Paula Broadwell plays on television in the background

'Very sexy': Kelley has been accused of sending 'flirtatious' messages to another general, John Allen

Close: In a family album posted online, Kelley's seven-year-old daughter explained Petraeus had been to the house alongside a picture of her with her two sisters

'General Allen disputes that he has engaged in any wrongdoing in this matter,' one official close to the case said to Fox News . He said Allen currently is in Washington.

'SEXUALITY WILL ALWAYS BE A CHALLENGE ON THE FRONT LINE': BROADWELL ON RELATIONSHIPS

In 2009, Paula Broadwell wrote an article for the Boston Globe about women on the front line - and the possibility of relationships. 'Human sexuality will always present a challenge to organizational discipline,' she wrote. 'In an isolated combat unit, it could present challenges, and long-term infantry operations in isolated outposts could create a situation where issues of sex impede an organization’s survival skills. 'But on forward-operating bases, managing sexual issues should be like managing routine personnel issues. 'Banning sex is futile and impossible; the best approach is to set rules regarding fraternization, maintain awareness of relationships within the command, and strictly and fairly discipline transgressors.'



Since she was named as the 'other other' woman in the David Petraeus affair, the spotlight has shone on Kelley and her identical twin sister Natalie Khawam.

The two sisters 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.

Kelley, 37, and her cancer surgeon husband Scott owe millions to banks after the collapse of their real estate holdings in 2010.

While her sister Natalie 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 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 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. Kelley, is renowned for her no-expense spared parties for top military brass who are stationed at the nearby U.S. Central Command.

General Allen (left) and David Petraeus (right) are both caught up to their necks in the burgeoning sex scandal

Social Climbers: From right to left, Holly Petraeus, Jill Kelley, her husband Scott, Gen David Petraeus and Jill Kelley's sister Natalie Khawam at a garden party at the Kelley house

All smiles: Jill Kelley, right, poses with Petraeus' wife, Holly, and daughter, Anne, with her sister Natalie At one such event at her $1.2 million dollar Tampa mansion she was pictured with 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. 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. VIDEO: Paula Broadwell seen through window, drinking wine



Who's who? A flow chart explains the connections between the major players in the Petraeus scandal

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 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 Allen and Petraeus has extended to letters supporting Natalie's case to overturn a ruling denying her custody of her four-year-old son in Washington earlier this year.

Scandal: Gen. John Allen, pictured before the Senate Armed Services Committee in March as his wife and daughter look on, is under investigation for sending 'inappropriate emails' to a military party planner

Heading out: Kelley has hired the crisis management team who represented Monica Lewinsky and an attorney Bold: Kelley confidently strutted outside her home while Paula Broadwell has still not effectively emerged from hiding



Supplying the court a letter confirming that he knew Natalie well and had even had her over for Christmas diner, General Petraeus testified that she had 'a very loving relationship - a mother working hard to provide her son enjoyable, educational and developmental experiences.'

General 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 filed for bankruptcy on more than $3 million in taxes, property debts and loans.

She is being sued in Florida by her former boss Barry Cohe, who says that she 'fraudulently omitted Rolex watches, sable mink furs and a diamond ring' from her bankruptcy filing.

She has called police four times to complain about reporters outside her home. In one call, she said she was an honorary consul general, adding: 'I don't know if you want to get diplomatic protection'.

Popular: Jill Kelley is pictured left in her yearbook photo and with her husband Dr. Scott Kelley, right

If Gen. Allen is found to have engaged in an extramarital affair with Kelley - a crime in the military - he faces being court martialed, bringing a spectacular fall from grace and the end to a glittering army career that has spanned nearly 40 years. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Pentagon officials have declined to comment on the nature of the relationship between Kelley and Allen except to say that it was 'potentially inappropriate', leading to speculation about the contents.

But a top official told the Washington Post that Allen simply used the word 'sweetheart' - which he said proves nothing as the general is from Virginia, where it is used as a platonic phrase.

'He's never been alone with her,' the official said. 'Did he have an affair? No.'

The senior official added that Kathy Allen, the general's wife, and Kelley were 'good friends'.

Another said she was nothing more than 'a nice, bored, rich socialite'.

Questions: If he is found to have had an extramarital affair - a crime in the military - he will be court-martialed Support: He has two daughters, including Betty Wightman, left, with wife Kathy, pictured in her younger years

Public eye: His other daughter Bobbie Allen, 27, is a singer-songwriter and has released an album The FBI notified the Pentagon of its investigation into Allen’s communications with Kelley on Sunday evening. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said he immediately notified the White House and top leaders in Congress of the investigation. Panetta said Allen would remain as commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan for now, 'while the matter is under investigation and before the facts are determined.' Allen, who graduated from the Naval Academy in 1976, was Deputy Commander of Central Command, based in Tampa, prior to taking over in Afghanistan. He also is a veteran of the Iraq war. He lives in Washington D.C. with his wife, Kathy, with whom he has two daughters, Bobbie and Betty. Betty is a first-grade teacher in Alexandria, Virginia, and married in 2009. Bobbie, a 27-year-old graduate of Virginia Tech, is a singer and released her debut album last year. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said on Tuesday that President Obama still has 'faith' in Allen.

Couple: Gen. John Allen, wearing a Santa Hat, and his wife on Christmas Day At ease: Allen was due to take over as NATO's top commander, but the appointment has been put on hold

TIMELINE OF A SEX SCANDAL Late summer - FBI establish emails come from Paula Broadwell, and that she has had an affair with David Petraeus

21 Oct - FBI interview Ms Broadwell

22-29 Oct - FBI interview Gen Petraeus

6 Nov - FBI inform James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence, of Petraeus affair. Mr Clapper speaks to Gen Petraeus

7 Nov - Mr Clapper informs White House

8 Nov - White House informs President Obama. He speaks to Gen Petraeus

9 Nov - President Obama accepts Gen Petraeus' resignation. Congressional committees informed

12 Nov - FBI searches Mrs Broadwell's home

'I can tell you that the president thinks very highly of General Allen and his service to his country, as well as the job he has done in Afghanistan,' Carney told reporters in a press conference.

A friend of the couple said Mr Kelley would not have know about the vast number of emails being exchanged by his wife and the military chief.

'Knowing Scott, there is no way he would have approved of Jill sending so many emails to another man,' said the friend.

'What husband would be happy to see his wife sending so many different messages to another man, even if he is overseas and serving his country?'

Another friend, who has known Kelley for almost a decade, added: 'This has come as a complete shock. You never know what goes on behind closed doors, but no one in her circle saw this coming.

'Jill was well known for throwing parties where the military attended and she reveled in her role as honorary ambassador but sending all those emails to a general is another thing.'

Her brother, David Khawam, has also revealed their fear that she will be branded the 'other woman'.

Close ties: Kelley (right) exchanged emails and IMs with General Petraeus daily but those were on his official account and were monitored by staff members

Speaking to the Today show, he said: 'This is something that is going to brand her for life.

'My sister, number one, is a mother. She has three kids and is extremely dedicated to those kids.

'Number two she is a wife. She is extremely dedicated to her husband and he to her. For her to have an affair with General Petraeus is ludicrous.'

He added that he expected his sister, who has hired the crisis management firm employed by Monica Lewinsky and the attorney who represented John Edwards earlier this year, to address reports about her involvement with two of the top US military chiefs.

The investigation plunges the military into yet more scandal, with two of its most senior officials in hot water for their indiscretions and potential breaches of security.

High profile: In a 2011 photo, Obama announces he will nominate (from left to right) Leon Panetta as Secretary of Defense, Petraeus as the director of the CIA and Allen as commander for US forces in Afghanistan

Career man: US General John Allen (left) and David Petraeus (centre) greet US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta (right) as he lands in Kabul in 2011

The resignation of Petraeus in light of his affair also comes at a particularly sensitive time.

The administration and the CIA have struggled to defend security and intelligence lapses before the September 11 attack that killed the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three others, and hearings into the assault were set to begin this week, with Petraeus testifying. His involvement has now been put on hold.

The case has also sparked an uproar in Congress, with lawmakers complaining they should have been told earlier about the probe that has shaken the intelligence and military establishment.

New York Rep. Peter King, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, called the latest revelations 'a Greek tragedy'.

'It's just tragic,' King said on NBC's Today show. 'This has the elements in some ways of a Hollywood movie or a trashy novel.'

Insult: A photograph in June 2011 shows Broadwell watching as Petraeus and his wife Holly arrive for a Senate Select Intelligence Committee hearing on Petraeus' nomination to be director of the CIA Deception: Paula Broadwell is married to a radiologist, Scott Broadwell (left), and they have two young sons together, while Petraeus has been married to Holly for 38 years. They have two grown children

The issue of what the FBI knew, when it notified top Obama administration officials, and when Congress was told, has brought criticism from lawmakers.

The White House only learned of the probe on November 6 - Election Day - although it began months earlier, while Senate Intelligence Committee chairwoman Dianne Feinstein complained that she first learned of the matter from the media late last week.

A federal law enforcement official responded that the FBI had concluded relatively quickly - and certainly by late summer at the latest - that there had been no security breach so it was appropriate not to notify Congress or the White House earlier.

The Allen matter also adds a new complication to an Afghan war effort that is at a particularly difficult juncture.

John Brennan, the White House counter-terrorism adviser and a CIA veteran is being floated as a possible replacement CIA chief

Allen had just provided Panetta with options for how many U.S. troops to keep in Afghanistan after the U.S.-led coalition's combat mission ends in 2014. And he was due to give Panetta a recommendation soon on the pace of U.S. troop withdrawals in 2013.

The war has been largely stalemated, with little prospect of serious peace negotiations with the Taliban and questions about the Afghan government's ability to handle its own security after 2014.

Panetta also said he wants the Senate Armed Services Committee to act promptly on Obama's nomination of General Joseph Dunford to succeed Allen as commander in Afghanistan.

That nomination was made several weeks ago. Dunford's hearing is also scheduled for Thursday.

If Allen is prevented from eventually taking up the NATO position, Obama could be faced with yet another national security crisis, at the same time as he is having to fill vacancies at the CIA, State Department and possibly also the Department of Defense.

Just like the 'Real Housewives' : A Cast of Characters in the Petraeus Sex Scandal

One day CIA Director David Patraeus was sending out signals he'd like to stay on for President Barack Obama's second term. The next he was hurrying to the White House to offer his resignation and remorse over an extramarital affair. In rapid succession, other characters have emerged in North Carolina, Florida and Afghanistan with story lines that resemble the latest installment of "Real Housewives."



And the scandal's become so complicated you need a scorecard to keep track:



DAVID PETRAEUS

A highly decorated four-star Army general lauded for his leadership of the Iraq and General Petraeus Afghanistan wars, Petraeus, 60, moved into the civilian world to become CIA director in September 2011. He shocked official Washington on Friday by admitting an extramarital affair with his biographer and resigning his post.

PAULA BROADWELL

The other woman. Now a 40-year-old author and married mom of two young children, she met Petraeus while she was an Army reservist and graduate student at Harvard in 2006. She later embarked on a case study on his leadership of the Iraq Paula Broadwell War. After he took the helm in Afghanistan, Broadwell expanded her work into a biography, gaining unprecedented access to Petraeus and his commanders. It's called "All In: The Education of General David Petraeus."

Their affair began in November 2011, a couple of months after he became CIA director, according to retired Army Col. Steve Boylan, a friend of the Petraeus family. It ended last summer, Boylan said.

The relationship was exposed after Broadwell of Charlotte, N.C., sent emails to another woman, Jill Kelley, warning her to stay away from Petraeus, officials said.

JILL KELLEY

All threads in the story trace back to this Tampa, Fla., socialite. Jill Kelley

A surgeon's wife and mother of three young girls, Kelley is a sort of self-appointed social ambassador for the nearby U.S. Central Command. The Kelleys opened their bayside home to lavish parties where military brass mingled with Tampa's elite. In this role, she befriended Petraeus and his wife, Holly, when he took over Central Command in October 2008.

Kelley, 37, stayed in close contact with Petraeus after he left to take command of the Afghanistan war. They exchanged nearly daily emails in an account routinely monitored by his aides, according to two former staffers, who said those messages weren't romantic in tone.

In May 2012, Kelley started getting anonymous, harassing emails warning her away from Petraeus. She reported the email to the FBI.

The FBI traced the messages to Broadwell, uncovering her affair with Petraeus. The FBI notified Petraeus' boss, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who urged him to resign.

JOHN ALLEN

The four-star Marine general who followed in Petraeus' footsteps at Central Command and then as Afghanistan commander is now following him into choppy waters. Gen. John Allen

The Pentagon is investigating 20,000 pages of documents and emails involving Allen, who is married, and Kelley. Some of the communications were "flirtatious," according to a senior defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the case publicly.

Like Petraeus, Allen was part of the Tampa social circle; he moved up to acting commander when Petraeus left for Afghanistan. When Petraeus came home from Afghanistan, Allen moved into the top job there — his current post.

President Barack Obama has nominated Allen to take over U.S. European Command and lead all NATO forces in Europe. That's been put on hold. He denies any wrongdoing and remains in his job.

NATALIE KHAWAM

Kelley's twin sister also socialized with the two generals. Both Petraeus and Allen wrote letters Natalie Khawam lauding Khawam as a devoted mother to help her in a bitter child custody battle with her ex-husband. Earlier in that divorce case, Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz had criticized Khawam for a lack of honesty and "misrepresentations about virtually everything."

THE SHIRTLESS FBI AGENT --- ??? And then there's this unnamed character: The FBI agent to whom Kelley first took her complaint was a longtime friend. And he had once sent her shirtless photos of himself, according to a federal law enforcement official.

He passed the information along to others for investigation, and was subsequently told to steer clear of the case because his superiors worried that he had become obsessed with it, the official said.

But the agent passed along a tip about Petraeus' affair to Republican Rep. Dave Reichert of Washington state, who got word to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor on Oct. 27, nearly two weeks before the scandal became public.