Ex-elite US soldier arrested for ‘leaking classified secrets’ to journalist

A US Army veteran has been arrested for allegedly transmitting classified defense information to a journalist.

Former elite soldier Courtney Williams, 40, served in the US Army’s Delta Force from 2010 to 2015.

When she was hired and when she left her job, she signed a classified nondisclosure agreement, meaning that if the allegations are true, she could face prison time.

FBI Director Kash Patel wrote of her arrest online, saying: ‘Let this serve as a message to any would-be leakers: we’re working these cases, and we’re making arrests.

‘This FBI will not tolerate those who seek to betray our country and put Americans in harm’s way.’

Williams allegedly spoke to reporter Seth Harp for Harp’s book about Fort Bragg, the base of the Delta Force squad.

Legal documents show that Williams often was placed in charge of sensitive documents, including fake passports for undercover agents.

Williams told Harp that she faced harassment as an employee, including being told to bend over so a senior officer could see if her pants were ‘transparent’.

Old phone records obtained by the FBI also showed multiple calls between Williams and a journalist between 2022 and 2026.

On the day a Politico article written by Harp was published, Williams messaged him and said she was worried about the ‘amount of classified information being disclosed’.

‘I thought things I was telling you [were] so you could have a better general understanding,’ she said.

Harp has since defended his alleged source, writing in a statement: ‘Ironically, while the FBI was monitoring my phone and investigating Courtney on vague and weak charges, the perpetrators of half a dozen murders involving Fort Bragg soldiers involved in the drug trade have gone entirely unsolved.

‘A real police agency would go after real criminals instead of engaging in this sort of penny-ante political theater.’

‘Courtney Williams is a courageous whistleblower who exposed rampant gender discrimination and sexual harassment in the US Army’s Delta Force.

‘Unlike many of my sources, she was adamant that she be quoted by name and made no attempt to conceal her identity because her actions were entirely above-board, legitimate, and admirable.’

Williams also reportedly messaged her mother about the discussions with a journalist, writing: ‘I might actually get arrested, and I don’t even get a free copy of the book.’

Williams has denied any wrongdoing.

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