A leak targets the Delta Force: a former American servicewoman stands accused
A former army soldier who helped support the U.S. commando unit “Delta Force” was arrested on charges of sharing classified information with a journalist who was writing about the special force, according to Politico.
Courtney Williams, 40, appeared Wednesday before a federal court in Raleigh, North Carolina, to face a criminal complaint related to the unlawful transfer of information concerning national defense.
According to the complaint, Williams disclosed “tactics, techniques, and procedures” used by an unspecified “special military unit” based at Fort Bragg.
Prosecutors say these details were classified as “secret” and prohibited from distribution to foreign countries.
A written statement by an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation supporting the criminal case did not name the unit or the journalist. However, the details in the court document match a book published last year by author Seth Harp about Delta Force, as well as a quotation that appeared on Politico’s website.
Harp said Williams endured years of “severe sexual harassment” while working to provide special operations forces with passports, driver’s licenses, and credit cards that allowed them to deploy abroad without being detected.
According to the author, she eventually filed a formal complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and reached a settlement.
Harp maintains that Williams is facing unfair charges.
He wrote on the platform “X” that “Courtney Williams is a veteran, a mother, and a patriotic American citizen. She committed no crime. The reckless U.S. Department of Justice under Trump refuses even to disclose what ‘classified information’ she allegedly leaked. Her arrest and imprisonment are shameful. Is it classified to say that many Delta Force members and officers sexually harass women and discriminate against them in the workplace?”
FBI Director Kash Patel praised Williams’s arrest and what he described as the “outstanding work” that led to it.
Patel wrote on “X”: “The FBI and our partners arrested a former employee of the Special Operations Command, who supported our senior military leaders, for leaking classified information to a member of the media. Let this be a message to anyone considering a leak: we are working these cases and making arrests. The FBI will not tolerate those who seek to betray our country and endanger American lives.”
However, Harp argued that the case did not require much investigation by the FBI. Williams’s name was explicitly mentioned in the book and the Politico article, which included four photos of her. He added, “We never attempted to hide this or obscure her identity.”
A Politico spokesperson declined to comment.
The criminal complaint alleges that shortly after the book’s publication, Williams expressed concern to Harp via text messages, writing that she “would certainly be worried about the amount of classified information that had been revealed” and that she feared it might give authorities “an opportunity to prosecute me legally.”
The maximum penalty for the initial charge against Williams is up to 10 years in prison. She was represented by a federal public defender during Wednesday’s brief hearing, but court records indicate that Williams intends to hire private counsel to represent her.
Prosecutors requested that Williams be detained pending trial. A magistrate judge scheduled a hearing for Monday to consider the request and ordered Williams to remain in custody until then.
