David Petraeus scandal: Gen John Allen investigated for 'inappropriate communications' to Jill Kelley The US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the FBI had uncovered between 20,000 and 30,000 pages of correspondence between Gen. Allen and Mrs Kelley. They are understood to mostly take the form of emails, with the majority being sent between 2010 and 2012. Mrs Kelley, a 37-year-old "social liaison" to an air force base in Tampa, Florida, had a longstanding family friendship with Gen. Petraeus but had no official status in the military. From left: Gen David Petraeus, Scott Kelley and his wife, Jill, and Holly Petraeus are shown at the 2010 Gasparilla parade in Tampa, Florida. Tampa Bay Times She is said to have alerted the FBI after allegedly receiving threatening emails earlier this year that were eventually traced to Mrs Broadwell. The FBI then found emails between Mrs Broadwell and Gen. Petraeus that revealed their affair. General David Petraeus shakes hands with Paula Broadwell in this 2011 photograph (AP) Mrs Kelley, a mother-of-three, has already employed Judy Smith, Monica Lewinsky's former crisis manager, and Abbe Lowell, a white-collar attorney who defended John Edwards, to assist her. Mr Panetta said in a statement that his department was informed about the case by the FBI on Sunday and that he had referred it to the Pentagon's inspector general for investigation. He had ordered a Pentagon investigation of Gen. Allen on Monday, he said. He added Gen. Allen would remain in Kabul as the commander of NATO-led security forces but that he had asked the Senate Armed Services Committee to delay action on Allen's pending nomination to be NATO's supreme allied commander. He has also requested the Senate committee moves promptly on the nomination for Allen's successor in Afghanistan, General Joseph Dunford. It remained unclear what allegations Gen. Allen faces, and officials declined to comment as to whether the Marine general was accused of using his work email to communicate with Mrs Kelley or had disclosed any classified information. The defence official said: "It's far too early to speculate on what the IG [inspector general] might find. There is enough concern that we believe it was a prudent measure to take appropriate steps to direct an investigation and notify Congress. We need to see where the facts lead in this matter, before jumping to any conclusions whatsoever. He added that Allen insisted on his innocence. "General Allen disputes that he has engaged in any wrongdoing in this matter," he said. Both Gen. Petraeus and Gen. Allen served in Tampa, home to US Central Command, which Gen. Petraeus led before taking over as commander in Afghanistan in 2010. Gen. Petraeus resigned as CIA director on Friday.