Story highlights Source says Broadwell is unlikely to be prosecuted for release of classified info 
 
 "He wants to maintain a distance and focus on his family," ex-aide says 
 
 Petraeus to testify Friday before the House Intelligence Committee, says aide 
 
 Contact continued between Petraeus and Broadwell after they split 4 months ago, says ex-aide 
 
 Former CIA Director David Petraeus has not been following the media firestorm that erupted in the wake of his resignation last week after admitting to having had an affair, a former aide said Wednesday. 
 
 "He wants to maintain a distance and focus on his family at this time," said retired Col. Peter Mansoor, who added that he had spoken earlier in the day with Petraeus. "He realizes it was a severe and morally reprehensible action, but he violated no laws," Mansoor said. 
 
 The affair between the married former military man and his married biographer, Paula Broadwell, ended about four months ago, Mansoor said, though the two remained in contact afterward. "Mostly in a professional capacity, where she's still trying to get her dissertation done and he was still trying to help her with that," he said. 
 
 Asked how Petraeus, 60, was holding up, Mansoor said, "He describes it as putting one foot in front of the other, and then repeating the process. So it's going to be a long, long road of healing for them. He understands that and he's focusing on it." 
 
 Mansoor's remarks came hours after President Barack Obama declined Wednesday to join congressional voices calling for an investigation into why the FBI did not notify the White House and other political leaders sooner about the investigation into the affair that led to Petraeus' resignation. 
 
 "I am withholding judgment with respect to how the entire process surrounding Gen. Petraeus came up," Obama told reporters at the White House. "We don't have all the information yet, but I want to say I have a lot of confidence generally in the FBI. So I'm going to wait and see." 
 
 Obama said he agreed with Petraeus' decision to resign after acknowledging an affair, but praised his service to the country. 
 
 "From my perspective, at least, he has provided this country an extraordinary service," Obama said. 
 
 He also said he had seen no evidence of any potentially damaging breach in national security stemming from the affair. 
 
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 "I have no evidence at this point from what I've seen that classified information was disclosed that in any way would have had a negative impact on our national security," Obama said. 
 
 In Congress, lawmakers from both parties have complained about not having been notified sooner of the investigation that led to the resignation or about potential security breaches. 
 
 Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, said he was increasingly concerned about the potential fallout from the affair and any national security implications, including possible links to the September 11 attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans. 
 
 Graham has called for a special select committee to investigate the attack. 
 
 FBI Director Robert Mueller joined Deputy Director Sean Joyce and acting CIA Director Mike Morell in briefing the lawmakers. 
 
 Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, D-California, said Tuesday that she had "many questions about the nature of the FBI investigation, how it was instituted." 
 
 "And we'll be asking those questions," she said. 
 
 But the committee's ranking Republican member, Sen. Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, said Wednesday the group would not look into questions about the FBI investigation and how congressional leaders learned about it until after the bureau concludes its work. 
 
 Petraeus has been scheduled to testify this week in private hearings on Capitol Hill about the Benghazi attack. Some Republicans have criticized the administration's response to the attack and have speculated that the timing of Petraeus' departure may have been linked to the congressional inquiry. 
 
 But Petraeus offered Wednesday through his chief of staff to testify on Benghazi, Mansoor said. "He did not like the conspiracies going around that somehow he had something to hide on Benghazi," he said. "I think his offer to testify crossed with the Congress' request to him to testify. But anyway, he looks forward to that." 
 
 Petraeus will testify before the House Intelligence Committee on Friday, a senior aide said. Feinstein said Tuesday that she hoped Petraeus would address her Senate panel as early as Friday. 
 
 Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta on Wednesday defended his request to withhold the nomination of Gen. John Allen to NATO commander pending an investigation into his contacts with Jill Kelley, whose complaints about anonymous, harassing e-mails led to the discovery of the affair between Petraeus, 60, and Broadwell, 40. 
 
 Broadwell's government security clearance has been suspended pending the outcome of investigations, two U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the move told CNN Wednesday. 
 
 Defense officials announced Tuesday that the FBI had referred information to them indicating Allen may have exchanged potentially inappropriate e-mails with Kelley, who was a volunteer at MacDill Air Force Base. 
 
 Kelley's access to MacDill without an escort has been suspended, a Defense Department official said Wednesday. 
 
 She had been given access to the base because of her position as a booster and promoter of programs to help U.S. troops, the official said. 
 
 A U.S. official familiar with the e-mails Allen sent to Kelley described them as warranting the investigation. 
 
 "If they got out, John Allen would be very embarrassed by them," said the official, who added that there was no evidence of physical contact between the two. 
 
 The official said that the e-mails under investigation are from Allen. 
 
 But a senior official close to Allen told CNN on Tuesday that the e-mails contained nothing pointing to sex or anything of a romantic nature. Allen may have said, informally, "thanks sweetheart" in an e-mail, the official close to Allen said. 
 
 "Anyone who knows him knows his style; he has a habit of replying to every single e-mail (he is sent). Kelley would e-mail his business and personal accounts," the official said. 
 
 It will be up to the Defense Department's inspector general to decide if the e-mails' content represents conduct unbecoming an officer, said a third source, a senior U.S. official. 
 
 Allen has yet to be questioned by Defense Department inspector general staff, but that could be completed in days, a U.S. official with knowledge of the investigation said. 
 
 Allen, who was once stationed at the base, has denied wrongdoing, a senior defense official said. In a statement, Col. John Baker, the chief defense counsel of the Marine Corps, said Allen "fully intends to cooperate" with the inspector general's investigators. 
 
 Broadwell's anonymous e-mail to Allen was sent after May, perhaps in June, the official said. 
 
 The e-mail, which had also been sent to a number of other officers, bore the handle "kelleypatrol -- or something similar," the official said. 
 
 He described the e-mail as "a warning that Kelley was a seductress or something along those lines" and said it was vaguely threatening, but above all weird. 
 
 "Allen did not know it was (from) Broadwell," the official said. 
 
 The official also said it was unclear when Kelley went to the FBI or whether Allen's warning to her was the trigger, but that Allen saw nothing in the e-mail's wording to warrant referral by him to the FBI. 
 
 Kelley's version differs from one offered by the senior official close to Allen, who said it was Allen who received an anonymous e-mail about Kelley, and tipped her off that someone was threatening her. 
 
 One of the sources familiar with Kelley said she first mentioned the alleged harassment in a casual conversation with an FBI agent whom she knew socially. She did not seek him out for action on the matter, but he was happy to help, the source said. The source added that Kelley did not know at first that the e-mails led to Petraeus. 
 
 A source familiar with Kelley's version of events said the anonymous e-mails traced to Broadwell began in June. It wasn't until two months later that the FBI told Kelley who had sent the e-mails, said the source, adding that Kelley does not know Broadwell. 
 
 The general counsel for the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association identified Frederick Humphries as the agent initially contacted by Kelley about the anonymous e-mails. 
 
 The counsel, Lawrence Berger, said Humphries and his wife had been friends for years with Kelley and her husband. 
 
 Berger said Humphries took Kelley's concerns over the e-mails to the "appropriate components" at the FBI to investigate. "He reported it to the proper channels and had no further part on the case." 
 
 Kelley, 37, and her husband have released a statement saying they have been friends with Petraeus and his family for more than five years and asked for privacy. 
 
 A source close to Kelley said Wednesday that Kelley said she had not had a sexual relationship with Petraeus or Allen. 
 
 In mid-May, Allen got the first anonymous e-mail from someone using the handle "Kelleypatrol" that maligned Kelley and warned him to be wary of her, the source said. 
 
 Allen forwarded it to Kelley, thinking she might have sent it as a joke, but she told him she had not, the source continued. 
 
 The move to delay Allen's nomination was "a prudent measure until we can determine what the facts are, and we will," Panetta told reporters Wednesday. "No one should leap to any conclusions." 
 
 He said Allen "certainly has my continued confidence to lead our forces," a view shared by Obama, White House spokesman Jay Carney said. 
 
 That Allen remains in command in Afghanistan suggests that there is no criminal issue, a U.S. official told CNN. But the official said the Defense Department's inspector general could still find evidence of criminal conduct. 
 
 Kelley has not responded publicly to the latest news. 
 
 Both Allen and Petraeus appear to know Kelley's sister, Natalie Khawam. The men wrote letters in support of the sister in a custody battle, court records show. 
 
 On Monday, FBI agents were at Broadwell's home in Charlotte, North Carolina, according to spokeswoman Shelley Lynch. She declined to say what the agents were doing there. 
 
 A senior law enforcement official close to the Broadwell investigation said Wednesday night that it appeared unlikely she would be prosecuted for any unauthorized release of classified information. 
 
 The official told CNN National Security Contributor Fran Townsend that investigators were reviewing materials taken Monday from Broadwell's home, but that the information in question did not appear to be substantial; there may have been a technical violation but, if so, it was not egregious. 
 
 Broadwell had previously turned over a computer to investigators. 
 
 The official said Broadwell agreed to the search of her home but that officials also had secured a search warrant. 
 
 The official stressed the decision whether to prosecute rests with the Justice Department. 
 
 A source told CNN that Broadwell was acting as Petraeus' archivist and that the FBI had gone to her house to look for any documents she might have. 
 
 As a commissioned officer in the military reserves, Broadwell would have had "secret" or "top secret" security clearance, military officials said. 
 
 Access to information would have depended on what she needed to know to carry out an assigned task, said the officials, who would not go on the record about an ongoing investigation. 
 
 Broadwell has said that she was working on a second book about Petraeus. Her LinkedIn profile lists her as "Archivist/Biographer for General (Retired) David Petreaus." Her first book, "All In," was about Petraeus' leadership. 
 
 Broadwell has spoken about how she had to deal with sensitive information in the course of researching the first book. 
 
 "I had to follow very clear lines of non-disclosure and sign non-disclosure agreements, like my colleagues. I felt like I was almost held to a higher level of accountability because I could lose my clearance," Broadwell said in a speech last year. "I think it was important to inform my writing, but I knew there was a clear line that I couldn't cross when I was writing it out." 
 
 Petraeus has said he never shared classified information with Broadwell, said retired military officer John Nagl, who cited conversations in recent days with Petraeus. 
 
 Broadwell, a military intelligence reservist, is assigned to West Point, the Army's military academy, according to her service record, which lists her assignment as "United States Military Academy Staff & Faculty." In August, she was promoted to lieutenant colonel. 
 
 Last month, during a speech at the University of Denver, Broadwell suggested the Sept. 11 attackers in Libya were targeting a secret prison at the Benghazi consulate annex, raising unverified concerns about possible security leaks. 
 
 "I don't know if a lot of you have heard this, but the CIA annex had actually taken a couple of Libyan militia members prisoner and they think that the attack on the consulate was an effort to get these prisoners back," she said. 
 
 A senior intelligence official said no prisoners had been held at the annex. Broadwell did not provide a source for her information, and no evidence has emerged that it came from Petraeus. 
 
 Administration officials have said the Benghazi assault was a terrorist attack. ||||| Ex-CIA Director David Petraeus, who was whisked clandestinely into private meetings with Congress on Friday to avoid reporters, expressed regret anew in an appearance that marked his first official business since he resigned in disgrace over an extramarital affair. 
 
 Former CIA Director Gen. David Petraeus, right, followed by security agents, enters his home in Arlington, Va., Friday, Nov. 16, 2012, after testifying on Capitol Hill before closed-door sessions of the... (Associated Press) 
 
 Senate Intelligence Committee member Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., speaks with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Nov. 16, 2012, following the committee's close-door hearing where former CIA... (Associated Press) 
 
 Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. is surrounded by reporters after speaking, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Nov. 16, 2012, following a committee's closed-door... (Associated Press) 
 
 Senate Intelligence Committee member Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., speaks with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Nov. 16, 2012 following the committee's closed-door hearing where former CIA... (Associated Press) 
 
 In ways befitting a spy, the former four-star general was sneaked into a secure room beneath the Capitol to escape a clamorous crowd of photographers and television cameras. After more than four hours, Petraeus left much the way he came and was seen departing in a two-vehicle motorcade. About 20 minutes later, The Associated Press photographed Petreaus entering his home _ one of the only public images of him since he resigned. 
 
 The scandal over Petraeus' affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell, has preoccupied Washington, even as the possibility of war loomed in Israel and the U.S. government faced a market-rattling "fiscal cliff" that could imperil the economy. So far, the scandal has ensnared Petraeus; the top American commander in Afghanistan, Gen. John Allen; two Florida socialites; and a decorated FBI counterterrorism agent. 
 
 Across town, the White House acknowledged Friday that Jill Kelley, the Tampa socialite who inadvertently triggered the FBI investigation that uncovered Petraeus' affair, visited the Executive Mansion three times in the last three months with her sister, Natalie, twice eating in its mess. Kelley and her sister _ both are friends with Petraeus and Allen _ were guests of a mid-level White House aide, according to an Obama administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity because those visitor records have not yet been made public. Kelley and her family also received a tour of the mansion. 
 
 The White House also acknowledged that Broadwell visited there twice since 2009. 
 
 In his Capitol Hill appearances, Petraeus, who until last week was among America's most respected military leaders, discussed with the House and Senate intelligence committees the September attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, which left four Americans dead. He did not discuss his adultery with Broadwell, except to say that he regretted his behavior and that his departure was unrelated to the deadly violence in Libya. The scandal has led to a new CIA internal investigation. 
 
 "He was very clear his resignation was tied solely to his personal behavior," said Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., a member of the Intelligence Committee. "He was apologetic and regretful but still Gen. Petraeus." 
 
 Unlike previous appearances at the Capitol, when Petraeus walked through the front door and greeted reporters, he was smuggled inside through a network of underground hallways. Police closed down entire corridors in the Capitol. Members of Congress said they made arrangements to spare Petraeus embarrassment and humiliation. Before the scandal, he famously cultivated personal relationships with journalists and served as the U.S. war commander in Iraq and Afghanistan. 
 
 Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, apologized to reporters and photographers for the stringent security. 
 
 "I know that's wrankling you," Feinstein said. "We didn't want to make it any more difficult for him. And you know, you people aren't always the easiest. So the blame is on us. Any waiting that you did, I apologize, but, you know, there's a lot of suffering going on." 
 
 Feinstein said no senators asked Petraeus about the affair. A congressional staffer who attended one of the closed briefings said talk about the sex scandal was off the table. 
 
 Petraeus, 60, publicly acknowledged last week that he had cheated on his wife of 38 years with Broadwell, 40. 
 
 It wasn't until Oct. 26 that Petraeus acknowledged the affair to FBI agents, during their second interview of him, a federal law enforcement official disclosed Friday. The official was not authorized to speak on the record about the ongoing case and requested anonymity for that reason. 
 
 The Joint Chiefs of Staff are expected to meet next week to discuss the recent stumbles of two of the military's top generals, said Adm. Jonathan Greenert, chief of U.S. Naval Operations. The joint chiefs want to review ethics, accountability and behavioral issues and determine whether senior officials are living up to the military's standards, Greenert said Friday at the National Press Club. 
 
 The FBI began investigating the case against Broadwell last summer but didn't notify the White House or Congress until after the election. 
 
 In the investigation, the FBI uncovered flirtatious emails between Allen and Kelley, both of them married. On Friday, two U.S. officials said investigators have found just a handful of the emails between Allen and Kelley to be potentially problematic. They said investigators determined the vast majority of the 20,000-plus pages of documents were routine. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the ongoing investigation. 
 
 President Barack Obama has put a promotion nomination for Allen on hold. 
 
 Kelley's emails triggered the eventual downfall of Petraeus and placed others under scrutiny. Kelley knew Petraeus and Allen from the Tampa social scene when they were stationed at nearby MacDill Air Force Base. It was there that the mid-level White House aide who hosted her at the Executive Mansion met her, said the White House official. 
 
 Broadwell attended two meetings in the White House's executive office building. In 2009 she met with a member of Obama's national security staff and in June 2011 she joined about 20 people for a briefing on Afghanistan and Pakistan policy, the official said. The 2011 meeting was just a few hours before Obama gave a prime-time speech about withdrawing troops from Iraq. 
 
 Petraeus, in his first media interview since he resigned, told CNN this week that he had never given classified information to Broadwell. She has said she didn't receive such material from Petraeus. 
 
 But the FBI found a substantial number of classified documents on Broadwell's computer and in her home, according to the law enforcement official, and is investigating how she got them. The Army has now suspended her security clearance. 
 
 The official outlined new details Friday of the timing of the FBI investigation that showed that agents spent the summer making certain that no one had hacked into Petraeus' computers to track his movements _ a potential national security vulnerability raised by some of the first emails they saw in the case. They also used the summer to rule out any possibility he somehow participated in harassing Kelley by email. 
 
 After that, in early fall, Broadwell was interviewed by the FBI and agents searched her computers and found substantial amounts of classified documents, the law enforcement official said. The focus of the investigation shifted and agents spent most of October working with the Pentagon to determine where she got the documents, their significance and her right to have them. 
 
 The CIA on Thursday opened an exploratory investigation into Petraeus' conduct. The inquiry "doesn't presuppose any particular outcome," said CIA spokesman Preston Golson. At the same time, Army officials say that, at this point, there is no appetite for recalling Petraeus to active duty to pursue any adultery charges against him. 
 
 ___ 
 
 Associated Press writers Nedra Pickler, Larry Margasak, Adam Goldman, Jim Kuhnhenn, Lolita C. Baldor, Pete Yost, Donna Cassata, Henry C. Jackson and Robert Burns contributed to this report.
– David Petraeus will indeed testify on Capitol Hill about the Benghazi attack, reports AP. The former CIA chief will appear before the House Intelligence committee on Friday, though the hearing will be closed to the public. Petraeus visited Libya secretly last month, and lawmakers are antsy to hear his own report about the trip. CNN, meanwhile, quotes one of the general's former aides as saying Petraeus is largely avoiding the media coverage of his affair and resignation, and instead focusing on his family. "He describes it as putting one foot in front of the other, and then repeating the process," says retired Col. Peter Mansoor. "So it's going to be a long, long road of healing for them. He understands that and he's focusing on it."