Courtney Williams Arrested for Allegedly Leaking Classified Information to a Journalist

Courtney Williams, a 40-year-old former Army employee from Wagram, North Carolina, was arrested by the FBI on Tuesday and indicted by a federal grand jury on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, on charges of unlawfully transmitting classified national defense information.

Williams worked from 2010 to 2016 as an operational support specialist for a Special Military Unit (SMU) at Fort Bragg (now Fort Liberty), North Carolina—widely associated with elite units like Delta Force. In that role, she held a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance and had daily access to sensitive classified materials, including tactics and procedures used in covert missions. She signed multiple nondisclosure agreements during and after her employment.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, between 2022 and 2025, Williams allegedly communicated extensively with an investigative journalist—identified in some reports as Seth Harp—who was researching a magazine article and a book about the unit. Prosecutors say the two had more than 10 hours of phone calls and exchanged over 180 text messages. During these interactions, Williams is accused of disclosing classified details about military tactics, operations, and other national defense information to someone not authorized to receive it, in violation of the Espionage Act.

Court documents reportedly indicate that Williams had previously raised allegations of harassment and retaliation during her time with the unit, and some of that context appeared in the journalist’s published work. However, federal authorities emphasize that sharing protected classified information crosses a clear legal line, regardless of motive. In one alleged instance, she reportedly told her mother she could face arrest for exposing sensitive operations.

FBI officials, including Director Kash Patel, described the case as a betrayal of the oath to protect national secrets. Patel stated that the arrest sends a message: the FBI will pursue leakers who put warfighters, allies, and national security at risk.

Williams appeared in federal court in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Wednesday and was ordered temporarily detained ahead of a preliminary hearing scheduled for April 13, 2026. If convicted, she could face significant prison time.

This case highlights ongoing tensions between transparency, whistleblower claims, and the strict protections surrounding classified military information, especially involving elite special operations forces. The investigation was handled by the FBI’s Charlotte Field Office.

As the legal process continues, more details may emerge from court filings.