On Tuesday, a U.S. Army Special Operations Command veteran was arrested for violating the Espionage Act.
Courtney Williams, 40, now faces federal charges for communicating and transmitting national classified defense information.
According to court documents, Williams allegedly provided sensitive details, including classified Delta Force tactics and procedures, to a journalist for a book on Fort Bragg.
Williams worked for the Army between 2010 and 2016 after serving as a contractor and previously enlisting. She held a top secret security clearance and left in 2016 following an internal investigation that suspended her access to classified information.
The complaint states Williams is charged with one count of illegally communicating or transmitting national defense information, which carries a potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Williams was arrested on Tuesday and ordered to be detained ahead of a preliminary hearing scheduled for April 13.
Federal authorities allege that Williams and the journalist discussed her employment at the Special Military Unit (SMU) and associated information through texts and phone calls. The affidavit also states that Williams provided documents, photographs, notes, and other materials to the journalist in ten batches via removable hard drives and email.
Williams was featured in a story about alleged misconduct in Delta Force, an elite counterterrorism unit based at Fort Bragg. The story included on-the-record statements from Williams regarding her experiences.
After the book was published last August, Williams texted the journalist expressing concerns that she might be arrested for disclosing classified information. In one message to a friend, she stated: “I probably will go to jail for life.”
The complaint indicates that Williams spent at least 10 hours on the phone with the journalist and exchanged approximately 180 texts between 2022 and 2024.
Williams saved documents on her computer with file names such as “Batch 1 for Reporter” and “Batch 2 for Reporter,” indicating she intended to provide multiple batches of materials to the journalist.
The federal investigation concluded that the information included in the story contained classified material, specifically tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used by the unit for sensitive missions.
Seth Harp stated: “Courtney Williams is a brave whistleblower and truth-teller. Former Delta Force operators disclose national defense information on podcasts and YouTube every day, but the government is going after her for exposing sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the unit.”
The book, titled “The Fort Bragg Cartel,” details Williams’ experiences with sexual harassment and gender discrimination during her eight years with Delta Force.