Pictured with Petraeus and his wife: Glamorous liaison officer who complained to FBI about emails from CIA boss's 'jealous' mistress

• Details of Petraeus' affair with Broadwell emerged when she allegedly sent threatening messages to Jill Kelley - an unpaid social liaison to the military
  
• The FBI was contacted by the recipient - and the emails were tracked to Paula Broadwell - who by then had been involved with Petraeus
• Friend says that Broadwell is 'not the type' to carry on an affair
• Through their investigation, Federal agents discovered that the general had shared explicit emails with Broadwell

By James Nye, Beth Stebner, Thomas Durante and John Clarke

PUBLISHED: 14:02 EST, 11 November 2012 | UPDATED: 18:02 EST, 12 November 2012

This is the woman who complained to the FBI about harassing emails from the mistress of Gen David Petraeus.

Jill Kelley, 37, of Tampa, Florida, is an unpaid social liaison officer to military headquarters in the city and has a longstanding friendship with Petraeus, who quit as CIA director in disgrace last week.

Mrs Kelley lives in a $1.3million house with her husband Scott, a surgeon, and their three children, age nine, seven and six.

She packed her bags and sped away from her lavish home on Sunday night after national news media descended on her upscale neighborhood.

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Celebration: (Left to right) Jill Kelley's twin sister Natalie Khawam, Gen Petraeus, Scott and Mrs Kelley, and Holly Petraeus watch the Gasparilla parade from the Kelley family's front lawn in this 2010 photo

Photo op: Gen Petraeus' wife Holly, left, is pictured with Scott and Jill Kelley at their home in Tampa, Florida

Mrs Kelley told agents that Paula Broadwell, the 40-year-old biographer who has been identified as the ex-CIA boss' mistress, sent her harassing emails telling her to 'back off' Petraeus.

An online picture album posted by the family talks about meeting Gen Petraeus at the family's home.

'We and our family have been friends with Gen Petraeus and his family for over five years. We respect his and his family's privacy and want the same for us and our three children,' she said in statement on Sunday.

There was no answer at the home tonight when called by MailOnline. The family had a large birthday party for one of their daughters on Sunday, which included catered sandwiches a disc jockey and more than 100 guests.

Mrs Kelley and her husband Scott, a cancer surgeon, declined to speak with news media gathered outside their home on Sunday.

Ties: Jill Kelley is an unpaid social liaison to the military base in Tampa where Petraeus worked for two years

Mrs Kelley is an unpaid social liaison to U.S. Central Command -- the military headquarters based at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa that oversees operations in the Middle East, including Iraq and Afghanistan.

Gen Petraeus was the head of the unit -- CENTCOM for short -- between 2008 and 2010, after he engineered the surge in Iraq and before President Obama tapped him to lead the surge in Afghanistan.

Sources said Mrs Kelley and her husband were fixtures at social gatherings at Central Command.

The official said the coalition countries represented at Central Command gave Mrs Kelley an appreciation certificate on which she was referred to as an 'honorary ambassador' to the coalition, but she has no official status and is not employed by the U.S. government.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the case publicly, said Kelley is known to drop the 'honorary' part and refer to herself as an ambassador.

A friend of Mrs Kelley told ABC News that she and Petraeus were close, but that the relationship never went any farther than friendship.

Details of the affair between Petraeus and Broadwell reportedly came to light during a FBI probe of the emails that she allegedly sent to Mrs Kelley.

The new revelation raises the possibility that Broadwell was growing increasingly jealous of a government employee whose job it was to keep in contact with Petraeus.

Friends: Gen Petraeus and his wife Holly were guests at the Kelleys' $1.2million house in Tampa, Florida

Mrs Kelley, who feared for her safety, contacted the FBI.

A government official told the New York Post that the emails contained such language as: 'I know what you did,' 'back off' and 'stay away from my guy.'

The official added: '(Broadwell) clearly thought something was going on' and thought she was in a 'lovers triangle.'

A person who knows both Mrs Kelley and Petraeus confirmed their friendship and said she saw him often.

Petraeus broke off the steamy affair with Broadwell before it was exposed by the FBI probe, according to friends of the retired general.

He quit his post as CIA director on Friday while offering an apology over the affair.

The break-up: Gen Petraeus ended the affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell, right, before it was exposed by an FBI probe, according to friends of the retired general

His apology came as reports show that the affair blew up in Petraeus' face after Broadwell allegedly sent the emails threatening Mrs Kelley.

Kelley and her twin sister Natalie appeared in a 2003 Food Network competition that pitted two sets of twins against each other in the kitchen.

Petraeus told friends that he had begun the affair with Broadwell shortly after he had left the Army to begin his work with the CIA, according to ABC News.

Those close to Broadwell are casting doubt over what she has been accused of.

A Woman Scorned? It is being claimed that the affair between David Petraeus and Paula Broadwell emerged after she sent threatening emails to Ms Kelley

David Bixler, a wounded soldier who met Broadwell through a charity in 2010, told ABC: 'I have some serious questions about who is connecting these dots... Paula Broadwell is not the type... she isn't.'

Ed Williams, a neighbor who lives two houses down from the Broadwell family in Charlotte, North Carolina, neighborhood, told Reuters: 'Everyone is surprised and shocked.'

Earlier in the week, Williams, a retired editor, saw Broadwell with her two children when she was voting in last week's U.S. presidential election.

He told Reuters that Broadwell appeared chatty and cheerful. Neighbors were working on putting together a belated party to celebrate the release of her book.

'Affair': Paula Broadwell (right) allegedly sent a threatening email to scare off another woman she suspected of being too close to the retired general, a State Department military liaison

'She gave no indication all this was going on,' Williams said.

The Salt Lake Tribune reported that Broadwell had shown up on the CIA radar before over working over concerns about what she was putting on her Facebook page.

The Tribune reported that there had been concerns about whether Broadwell was giving away sensitive security information in her posts.

Broadwell, who is married with two young sons, has not responded to multiple emails and phone messages.

She had planned to celebrate her 40th birthday in Washington this weekend, with many reporters invited. Her husband Scott emailed guests to cancel the party.

It is also claimed that Broadwell used Petraeus' own Gmail account to send the emails, and when the FBI began to investigate an obvious national security issue instead uncovered explicit messages between the two sent from the decorated war hero's own account - indicating an affair.

'Other woman': Paula Broadwell, left, is married and has two children. Petraeus has been married to his wife Holly, pictured right, for 37 years, and they also have two children

Three senior law enforcement officials with knowledge of the case told the Washington Post that when Petraeus' name was raised in connection with the threatening emails, the FBI thought that security had been breached.

CIA officers long had expressed concern about Broadwell's unprecedented access to the director.

She frequently visited the spy agency's headquarters in Langley, Virginia, to meet Petraeus in his office, accompanied him on morning runs around the CIA grounds and often attended public functions as his guest, according to two ex-intelligence officials.

Investigating the threatening messages, FBI agents uncovered evidence that he and 40-year-old Broadwell were involved in an extramarital affair.

FBI investigators first interviewed Petraeus about what they had found two weeks ago and informed him that no criminal charges would be brought and no-one is thought to have discussed the possibility of his resignation.

Awkward: Holly Petraeus (left in white) and Paula Broadwell sit in the front row during the CIA confirmation hearing of US Army General David Petraeus

But, according to the Washington Post, after an investigation Justice Department officials were unclear what to do next, because no crime had occurred nor breach of security.

They contacted James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence and told him they had compromising material about Petraeus.

Clapper in turn spoke to Petraeus and advised him to resign.

'Director Clapper learned of the situation from the FBI on Tuesday evening around 5pm,' the intelligence official said to the Washington Post.

'In subsequent conversations with Director Petraeus, Director Clapper advised Director Petraeus to resign.'

Director Clapper also added that he did not see the need for an internal investigation by the CIA, citing it as 'a very personal matter, not a matter of intelligence.'

On Wednesday evening, Clapper went to the White House and on Thursday morning President Obama was informed.

Close: Broadwell first met Petraeus when he visited Harvard University, where she was a student

Later on Thursday, Petraeus arrived to see the President and offered his resignation, which was accepted on Friday.

The Washington Post also reported that in an email message to a friend, Petraeus apologized for his actions.

'He was deeply sorry for the pain he has caused his family,' the friend said.

'He also noted how much he loved his job at the agency. He said he really relished the intellectual challenge there.'

Broadwell did not respond to voice mail or email messages seeking comment. Broadwell's biography, 'All In: The Education of General David Petraeus,' was written with Vernon Loeb, a Washington Post editor, and published in January.

West Point Graduate: Broadwell, pictured here in Afghanistan, has more than a decade of U.S. military service

Lawmakers from both parties joined Obama in praising Petraeus.

Obama said in a statement that Petraeus had provided 'extraordinary service to the United States for decades' and had given a lifetime of service that 'made our country safer and stronger.'

CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell will serve as acting director, Obama said. Morell was the key CIA aide in the White House to President George W. Bush during the 9/11 attacks.

'I am completely confident that the CIA will continue to thrive and carry out its essential mission,' Obama said.

The resignation comes at a sensitive time.

The administration and the CIA have struggled to defend security and intelligence lapses before the attack that killed the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three others.

Broadwell, pictured with Lt Col. Steve Grenier in Gizab, writes opinion pieces on leadership

It was an issue during the presidential campaign that ended with Obama's re-election Tuesday.

The CIA has come under intense scrutiny for providing the White House and other administration officials with talking points that led them to say the Benghazi attack was a result of a film protest, not a militant terror attack.

It has become clear that the CIA was aware the attack was distinct from the film protests roiling across other parts of the Muslim world.

Morell rather than Petraeus now is expected to testify at closed congressional briefings next week on the assault on the consulate in Benghazi, which occurred on the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Petraeus, who turned 60 on Wednesday, has been married for 38 years to Holly Petraeus, whom he met when he was a cadet at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.

She was the daughter of the academy superintendent. They have two children, and their son led an infantry platoon in Afghanistan.

The retired general told his staffers in a statement that he was guilty of 'extremely poor judgment' in engaging in the affair. 'Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours.'

At FBI headquarters, spokesman Paul Bresson declined to comment on the information that the affair had been discovered in the course of an investigation by the bureau.

Petraeus, who became CIA director in September 2011, was known as a shrewd thinker and hard-charging competitor.

His management style was recently lauded in a Newsweek article by Broadwell.

The article listed Petraeus' 'rules for living.' No. 5 was: 'We all make mistakes. The key is to recognize them, to learn from them, and to take off the rear view mirrors - drive on and avoid making them again.'

Petraeus, in his email, told his CIA employees that he treasured his work with them 'and I will always regret the circumstances that brought that work with you to an end.'

Family Man: In a photograph from 2004 David Petraeus, (center), commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division, kisses his wife, Holly, (second left), as his son, Stephen, (left), and daughter, (Anne), right, look on

The director of national intelligence, James Clapper, said Petraeus' departure represented 'the loss of one of our nation's most respected public servants.

From his long, illustrious Army career to his leadership at the helm of CIA, Dave has redefined what it means to serve and sacrifice for one's country.'

Other CIA directors have resigned under unflattering circumstances. CIA Director Jim Woolsey left over the discovery of a KGB mole, and director John Deutch left after the revelation that he had kept classified information on his home computer.

Glory Days: David Petraeus is America's best-known general and arguably the most consequential Army leader of his generation. Here he salutes troops in Afghanistan in 2011

Before Obama brought Petraeus to the CIA, he was credited with salvaging the U.S. war in Iraq.

'His inspirational leadership and his genius were directly responsible - after years of failure - for the success of the surge in Iraq,' Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, said Friday.

President George W. Bush sent Petraeus to Iraq in February 2007, at the peak of sectarian violence, to turn things around as head of U.S. forces.

He oversaw an influx of 30,000 U.S. troops and moved troops out of big bases so they could work more closely with Iraqi forces scattered throughout Baghdad.

Petraeus' success was credited with paving the way for the eventual U.S. withdrawal.

VIDEO: First glimpse of Jill Kelley leaving her home Monday

VIDEO: Email trail and Paula Broadwell on Jon Stewart's The Daily Show