The David Petraeus affair: Did Paula Broadwell threaten Jill Kelley?

Paula Broadwell leaves her home in Charlotte, N.C., on Nov. 19: The New York Daily News reports that Broadwell&#039;s emails to Florida socialite Jill Kelley were more &quot;menacing&quot; than previously b

(Image credit: REUTERS/Davis Turner)

last updated 8 January 2015

David Petraeus' extramarital affair with Paula Broadwell, which led to his resignation from the CIA, was discovered when a Florida woman, Jill Kelley, reported to the FBI that she was receiving "harassing" emails from an anonymous sender. It turned out that the emails came from Broadwell, who reportedly suspected that Kelley, a socialite with ties to the military community near Tampa, was a rival for Petraeus' affections. The emails have previously been described (in a rather sexist manner) as merely "catfight stuff," leading many to wonder why the FBI got involved to begin with. However, Broadwell's emails were actually far more "menacing," says the New York Daily News:

The menacing emails sent by David Petraeus’ ex-mistress to a Florida socialite promised to make the apparent rival “go away” and boasted of her friends in high places, the Daily News has learned.