A U.S. Army Special Operations Command veteran has been arrested for leaking classified national defense information to journalist Seth Harp, federal authorities announced Tuesday.
Courtney Williams, 40, was charged with violating the Espionage Act after prosecutors accused her of transmitting sensitive details about Delta Force operations for a book titled “The Fort Bragg Cartel.” Williams held a top secret security clearance during her service from 2010 to 2016 at the U.S. Army and was suspended in 2015 and 2016 following an internal investigation.
According to court documents, Williams provided classified information—including tactics and procedures (TTPs) used by Delta Force, a covert military unit based at Fort Bragg—to Seth Harp over two years. The disclosures were made via removable hard drives and email in ten batches. Investigators state Williams expressed significant concerns about the leak, telling her mother she feared being prosecuted for “disclosing classified information” and stating in texts to Harp that she might “go to jail for life.”
The book, published in August 2025, details allegations of sexual harassment and gender discrimination within Delta Force. Prosecutors allege Williams’ communications included specific TTPs utilized by the unit for sensitive missions. Williams is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on April 13 and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
