According to a number of reports, former general David Petraeus has resigned from his post as direct of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) after reports of an extramarital affair became public. Petraeus had assumed the post from Leon Panetta after he took over as Secretary of Defense.
A source close to the Petraeus family had alerted the FBI after receiving harassing emails, which she believed to be an attempt to blackmail the four-star general. The FBI investigated the lead which lead to a dummy email account created by Paula Broadwell, as well as the correspondence that uncovered the affair.
Cyber-harassment is a federal crime, which lead the FBI to investigate the matter. It is unknown whether Broadwell will be charged with a crime. While the House Intelligence Committee was initially concerned about a national security breach, no such leaks were discovered in the correspondence.
Broadwell is a biographer who helped to write Petraeus’ biography, “All In: The Education of General David Petraeus.”The two reportedly met when Broadwell was a post-graduate student at Harvard, and kept in touch via email. Petraeus’ wife, Holly, works for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The two had been married for 37 years, but the affair was reportedly an open secret with people who were close to the couple.
The story is yet another cautionary tale that electronic correspondence can be discovered (even after it is deleted) and used in divorce and custody proceedings.
Source: FoxNews.com, Petraeus resigns after affair with biographer turned up in FBI probe, November 9, 2012