Courtney Williams, a 40-year-old ex-veteran of the US Army Special Operations Command, is currently facing federal charges for allegedly sharing classified national defense information with unauthorized individuals, including a journalist. Williams, who resides in Wagram, North Carolina, was apprehended by the FBI and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury.

Court documents reveal that she served in a Special Military Unit (SMU) from 2010 to 2016, during which she held a Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information clearance. Throughout her service, she had regular access to various classified materials and signed nondisclosure agreements, acknowledging that unauthorized disclosures could lead to criminal charges.

Investigators assert that between 2022 and 2025, Williams maintained extensive communication with journalist Seth Harp, totaling over ten hours of phone conversations and more than 180 messages exchanged. The complaint indicates that Williams organized documents into multiple groups, each designated for a reporter, with intentions to provide at least ten sets of files, including personnel records from her time at SMU.

This information later surfaced in Harp’s book, *The Fort Bragg Cartel: Drug Trafficking and Murder in the Special Forces*, published in August 2025, alongside a related article. Authorities claim that the published content included classified information marked as SECRET, detailing the Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) utilized by the unit during sensitive operations.

On the publication day, Williams expressed her worries in messages, indicating her concern about the volume of classified information being revealed and warning that it felt as if “an entire TTP was sent out” under her name. In messages to others, she recognized the potential repercussions, stating, “I might actually get arrested … for disclosing classified information,” and later remarked that she was “probably going to jail for life.”

Federal officials have underscored the gravity of the charges. Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg emphasized that individuals with security clearance have a “solemn obligation” to safeguard classified information, while FBI officials cautioned that unauthorized disclosures jeopardize national security, military personnel, and allies.

In a statement to a local news outlet, Harp defended Williams, labeling her a “brave whistleblower and truth-teller,” and suggested that the case is retaliation for her revelations regarding sexual harassment and gender discrimination within the unit. Williams had previously highlighted a culture of misconduct during her tenure at the SMU, including inappropriate actions by superiors. After her departure, she filed an EEOC complaint for discrimination and received a settlement, which she claimed was sufficient to purchase a small house in North Carolina.