Petraeus Fallout: Lawmakers Demand Answers - WLTZ 38 | Columbus Georgia Regional News & Community

By Barbara Starr (CNN)

  Key members of the House and Senate say they knew nothing about the resignation of David Petraeus as CIA director -- until it was done.

And they say that's unacceptable.

Now, lawmakers are demanding answers about the FBI investigation that began months ago and uncovered the extra-marital affair that led to the resignation.
And the timing of it all could now keep Petraeus from testifying at a congressional hearing this week on the U-S Consulate attack in Benghazi, Libya.

 Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are questioning the timing behind the revelation.
House majority leader Eric Cantor talked to an FBI official in late October about the Petraeus affair, according to the congressman's spokesman.

 By that time, an FBI investigation was already underway.

 The FBI told the director of National Intelligence James Clapper on election night, according to a senior US Intelligence official.  The White House says it was notified the day after the election and the president, following day.
That doesn't make sense to House Homeland Security Chairman Peter King.
"It seems this has been going on for several months and, yet, now it appears that they're saying that the FBI didn't realize until Election Day that General Petraeus was involved. It just Doesn't add up," said King.

The New York Times reports the FBI actually started its investigation late this summer.

The House and Senate Intelligence Committees were also caught by surprise.
Wallace: are you going to investigate why the FBI didn't notify you before?
Feinstein: Yes, absolutely. I mean, this is something that could have had an effect on National Security. I think we should have been told.  

The FBI was investigating harassing emails from Petraeus' biographer.
The trail led to Paula Broadwell, who co-wrote "all in," a biography of Petraeus.
Broadwell described her extraordinary access to the General earlier this year on CNN.
"And at some point, I think he realized I was taking this research very seriously. I was sharing hardship with the troops and risk and so forth and decided to open up a little bit more access. But we had a relationship before I went there as far as this dissertation was concerned, so it just took it to another level,"  Broadwell said.

The end result was a flattering biography - summed up this way when she appeared on "The Daily Show" to promote it:  
"The real controversy here is, 'Is he awesome or incredibly awesome?'" Broadwell said.
Broadwell is a married mother of two. She's an honors graduate of West Point, a retired Army Reserve Major who served for 15 years.

Petraeus resigned Friday, admitting to cheating on his wife of 38 years, Holly, and citing - quote - "extremely poor judgment."
A  U.S. Official says Petraeus was never the target of the investigation and his communications were never compromised.

Petraeus was scheduled to testify Thursday on Capitol Hill about the attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Now his deputy will appear. But if the committees still want to hear from Petraeus, they may have to subpoena him.

Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.