David Petraeus Affair: FBI Probe Into Inbox of Paula Broadwell Uncovers 'Human Drama'

Nov. 10, 2012— -- A disturbing email sent to a woman associated with Gen. David Petraeus spurred an FBI investigation that ultimately traced the message back to the inbox of Petraeus' biographer, Paula Broadwell, where authorities discovered intimate emails she had exchanged with the CIA director, who has since resigned.

Sources familiar with the investigation tell ABC News that Petraeus and Broadwell were carrying on an affair.

The FBI stumbled across the affair after the unnamed woman, who received the troubling email several months ago, alerted authorities, who began a probe to track the source of the message.

The suspicious email was traced to the inbox of Broadwell, where investigators were said to have found emails indicating a romantic or sexual relationship between the married biographer and Petraeus, who has been married to his wife, Holly, for 37 years.

The FBI uncovered no compromising of classified information or criminal activity, sources familiar with the investigation said, adding that all that was found was a lot of "human drama."

WATCH: Paula Broadwell interviewed on "Around The World with Christiane Amanpour"

The timing of Petraeus' resignation, which came days before he was scheduled to testify to the House and Senate intelligence committees regarding the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, "was what it was," an official told ABC News, adding that the time had come to tie up any loose ends in the investigation and confront Petraeus.

The CIA director stepped down from his position as the head of the intelligence agency on Friday, acknowledging he had engaged in an extramarital affair. He did not provide any further details.

"Yesterday afternoon, I went to the White House and asked the president to be allowed, for personal reasons, to resign from my position as D/CIA," he said in a statement. "After being married for over 37 years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair. Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours. This afternoon, the president graciously accepted my resignation."

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper was made aware of the Petraeus situation on Tuesday evening around 5 p.m. by the FBI, according to a senior intelligence source.

Paula Broadwell Spent Year Embedded With Petraeus

After having several conversations with Petraeus that evening and the following day, Clapper advised Petraeus that the best thing to do would be for him to resign, the source said.

Clapper notified the White House the following afternoon that Petraeus was considering resigning, according to the source.

Petraeus then went to the White House Thursday and told the president he thought he should resign, and the following day the president accepted his resignation, the source said.

Clapper is not currently initiating an investigation into the matter, according to the source.

The news shocked officials in Washington. Petraeus was perhaps the military's most respected general of his generation. He is seen as a problem-solver, and was entrusted with key roles by two presidents from different parties.

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Petraeus, then working as a general in Afghanistan, spent a year in close quarters with Broadwell, a 40-year-old married mother of two who embedded with him to write his biography.

In February, when promoting her book, "All In: The Education of General David Petraeus," the West Point and Harvard-educated Broadwell told ABC News' Christiane Amanpour she was able to learn more about what makes the four-star general tick.

"His father doled out what he called gruff love, so he was always working hard to keep his father happy and I think that's reflected in his personality now," she said. "It's interesting to apply that on every one of his assignments, even looking at now, he's trying to please this president."

Broadwell wrote a story that was published this week on Newsweek's website titled "General David Petraeus's Rules for Living." No. 5 is notable in light of the news about his extramarital affair.