Former Army Employee Charged With Leaking Classified Info To Journalist

The Justice Department announced Wednesday that nan FBI had arrested a erstwhile Army employee whom national prosecutors accused of leaking classified accusation to a journalist.

Courtney Williams, 40, of North Carolina, was arrested Tuesday and charged Wednesday pinch transmitting “classified nationalist defense accusation to individuals not authorized to person it, including a journalist.”

Williams held apical concealed information clearance for her activity pinch nan subject from 2010 to 2016, nan Justice Department said successful a news release. Court documents allege that Williams communicated pinch a journalist from 2022 to 2025, during which they had “over 10 hours of telephone calls and exchanged much than 180 messages.”

The journalist, who is not named successful tribunal documents, told Williams that they were seeking accusation astir her subject portion successful relationship pinch an upcoming article and book, tribunal documents say. The criminal title says Williams was mentioned by sanction successful some an article and a book by nan aforesaid journalist published connected nan aforesaid time — Aug. 12, 2025.

Williams was named successful a 2025 book by Seth Harp, titled “The Fort Bragg Cartel: Drug Trafficking and Murder successful nan Special Forces,” published by Viking Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Harp besides named her successful a Politico Magazine story. Both were published Aug. 12.

The criminal title said that connected nan time nan article and nan book were published, Williams and nan journalist exchanged texts successful which Williams said she was “concerned astir nan magnitude of classified accusation being disclosed.”

Harp’s curriculum vitae connected Penguin’s website identifies him arsenic an investigative newsman and overseas analogous and a contributing editor astatine Rolling Stone who has written for respective publications. He is an Army seasoned and a lawyer who was an adjunct lawyer wide of Texas, according to his bio.

According to tribunal documents, Williams is being represented by nan national nationalist defender successful nan Eastern District of North Carolina, which did not instantly respond to a petition for remark Wednesday night.

Williams wrote that she “might get arrested...for disclosing classified information” successful messages pinch her mother, nan title says. She past cited a statutory proviso of nan Espionage Act, according to nan complaint.

“I mightiness really get arrested, and I don’t moreover get a free transcript of nan book,” Williams is alleged to person told her mother.

The mag article successful August specifications Williams’ acquisition while she was moving astatine Fort Bragg, nan office of Joint Special Operations Command, saying she was employed arsenic ngo support for nan covert portion Delta Force.

The article said Williams described being sexually harassed and belittled by nan men successful her unit, including its commander. Williams subsequently revenge grievances pinch nan Army Special Operations Command inspector wide and a favoritism declare pinch nan Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which resulted successful retaliation and yet her information clearance’s being stripped, nan article said, adding that Williams said she yet settled pinch nan military.

Harp said successful a statement posted to societal media Wednesday nighttime that Williams “is a courageous whistleblower who exposed rampant gender favoritism and intersexual harassment successful nan US Army’s Delta Force.”

“Unlike galore of my sources, she was adamant that she beryllium quoted by sanction and made nary effort to conceal her personality because her actions were wholly above-board, legitimate, and admirable,” Harp wrote.

He added that Williams was indicted not to protect classified accusation “but to retaliate against a women who only sought to amended workplace conditions for female soldiers and civilian labor of nan military.”

The Defense Department directed inquiries astir nan matter to nan Army, which did not instantly respond to a petition for remark Wednesday night. Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said successful a connection published successful nan August mag article that "this Department has a zero-tolerance argumentation for immoderate benignant of harassment."

Viking Press did not instantly respond to a petition for remark Wednesday night. Politico declined to supply a comment.

Williams was arrested days aft President Donald Trump threatened to jailhouse journalists astatine a media outlet that reported that an airman was missing aft an American combatant pitchy was changeable down successful Iran past week.

Trump said he was looking for whoever leaked accusation astir nan airman and would unit nan news media to help.

“We deliberation we’ll beryllium capable to find it out,” he said. “Because we’re going to spell to nan media institution that released it, and we’re going to say: ‘National security. Give it up aliases spell to jail.’”