It's the same thing as why it's bad to have athletes gambling, even if it's not in their sport. Running up gambling debts exposes you to risk because it gives someone a lever that they can use against you that might coerce you to do something illegal, i.e., throw a game.

Having an affair itself probably doesn't affect your work as a spy any more than the distraction issues, but it provides a potential lever in your life where there is now vulnerability that might be applied against your professional life. I.e., blackmail, but say it wasn't by the mistress, but instead some enemy of the state got hold of the info. Could your affair be used to coerce you to give up information in your professional life? Maybe not, maybe you would never do that, but now there's at least the appearance of that, or the opportunity. It makes you vulnerable, which the head of a spy agency shouldn't be.

Totally un-Petraeus-related:

So, we just got back from the football stadium (this is relevant), where there was a traveling exhibit of all the Batmobiles (from Adam West's to the Tumblers), as part of a promotional thing since DKR comes out on DVD soon.

Because there was a football game going on (this is relevant), the Batmobiles were all out on the plaza level outside the actual stadium, so one didn't need an expensive ticket to the game to see the Batmobiles.

It was pretty damn cool. There was no one cosplaying Batman, which I found weird, but there was a Catwoman and a...wait for it...Bane. AT THE FOOTBALL STADIUM.

I know it's just fiction, but having Bane at a packed football game weirded me out just a bit. But I got a picture of him and Catwoman with the packed stadium in the background. Because how could I NOT, right?

I thought I read that the emails came from Petraeus' account so it looked hacked.

Was all this recent? Because what regular (non affair) reason would P4 (much shorter than his whole name) at the CIA have to have contact with a State person at the Pentagon.

Many years ago, a friend of mine had an affair with a high ranking officer. He was also having other affairs. One of those women felt guilty and told a friend in confidence who then reported the guy to...someone. They went and took his computer and found emails to many women including my friend. The guy was allowed to retire but my friend had to leave the Army.

Eta: to me, the blackmail reason for resigning only works if it is a secret. If its not a secret, there's no blackmail-ability. So make it public and keep on going. FWIW, my guess (also) is that his personal moral code wouldn't let him stay.

sorry, more P4. here's the other other woman.

[link]

I just am sad I enjoyed the Rock Me Amadeus fun with P4.

Bailey heard some dog barking outside and is shaking like a leaf. poor thing. she so less high strung being an only dog in a quiet house.

I’m beginning to suspect that the whole CIA is a false operation, meant to divert people’s attention from the NSA, where all the real work takes place.

BTW, I am not sure the FBI investigation is because the woman is "high up", I think it was because P4 was implicated in the email.

As much as I can piece it together, Broadwell got access to P4's gmail account and used it to send a nastygram to the other woman.

P4 and/or the other woman contacted the FBI thinking the account had been hacked.

This indicates to me that P4 had not given Broadwell access to his gmail account, and didn't immediately assume she could or would have gotten access.

That further indicates that either his password was crap (as his biographer she was ideally positioned for social engineering to get it if it was a real thing and not "sununuhasdiamondsonthesolesofhisshoes") or that she was provided with hacking tools.

I'm thinking it's the first, because if someone was using her to get info on P4, they made just as big an error in judgment as he did.

And finally, I wonder how many of his affairs are going to come to light now that the string has been pulled.

The FBI has been monitoring P4's personal email account for months.

Which is amusing to me for some reason.

My guess at fallout:

Patraeus goes to conservative think tank for his counterinsurgency expertise.

His wife might stick with him anyway.

Broadwell has succes de scandale with her book, which makes the best seller list, but otherwise her career has hit a weird dead end. Nobody's going to hire her on the lecture circuit to talk about integrity now. She writes second best seller about the scandal itself. Makes money selling it to cable. In three years she wins Celebrity Survivor.

Her marriage ends. She shacks up with Steven Segal.