Former Fort Bragg employee accused of leaking classified military tactics

A former Fort Bragg employee with top-secret clearance is accused of leaking secret military tactics to a journalist, then confessing to his mother that he could be arrested for revealing sensitive operations, according to a federal complaint.

Courtney P. Williams, A 40-year-old Army veteran assigned to the Special Military Unit (SMU) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Federal prosecutors allege he was arrested by the FBI on Tuesday and charged with illegally transmitting national defense information, including covert tactics used on undercover missions, to an investigative reporter over a period spanning several years.

According to the complaint, Williams held a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance and had direct access to highly sensitive operational details, including tactics, techniques, and procedures (commonly known as TTP) used by elite military units.

Williams allegedly violated 18 USC § 793(d), the Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a statement Wednesday.

Investigators allege Williams communicated extensively with a journalist between 2022 and 2025, including phone calls lasting hundreds of minutes and approximately 180 text messages, as well as sending documents and materials later published in an article and book that identified him as the source.

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FBI Director Kash Patel addressed X on Wednesday after the arrest, saying the Bureau “will not tolerate” leakers of classified intelligence.

“Let this serve as a message to leakers: we are working on these cases and making arrests,” Patel wrote. “This FBI will not tolerate those who seek to betray our country and endanger Americans.”

Associated Press reported Although the journalist’s name is not in the court filings, the “dates and details” match an article and book by Seth Harp about the Army’s Delta Force.

An excerpt from Harp’s book, “The Fort Bragg Cartel,” was published in Politico magazine last August under the title “My Life Became a Living Hell: One Woman’s Career in Delta Force, the Army’s Most Elite Unit,” which included Williams’ statements alleging that she was sexually harassed during her military service.

Williams, a former military member, held a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance. (Logan Mock-Bunting/Getty Images)

Despite reservations that he reportedly shared with the journalist following the book’s publication, Harp released a statement to WRAL-TV about Williams, calling him “a brave whistleblower and truth teller.”

“Former Delta Force operators reveal ‘national defense information’ on podcasts and YouTube shows every day, but the government is going after Courtney because she exposed sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the unit. This is a vindictive act of retaliation, plain and simple,” Harp’s statement said.

According to the government, the released materials contained “CONFIDENTIAL” level classified information with “NOFORN” restrictions; This meant that they were not allowed to be disclosed to foreign nationals; This raised concerns that US adversaries could access this information.

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“Permit holders recognize a solemn obligation to protect the confidential information entrusted to them,” said Assistant Attorney General for Homeland Security John A. Eisenberg. DOJ version. “It is critical to our nation’s security that they do so. When permit holders violate that trust, the Department of Homeland Security will take swift action to hold them accountable.”

Evidence outlined in the complaint includes messages showing Williams mailing a flash drive containing materials to the journalist, as well as files stored on his computer labeled “Bulk 1 for Reporter” and similar headings, indicating an organized effort to provide information.

Allegedly, on the same day the article and book were published, Williams sent the journalist a message expressing concern about the scope of the disclosure, writing that he was disturbed by “the amount of classified information being disclosed” and felt like “a whole TTP had been sent in my name.”

Williams allegedly acknowledged the legal risk more directly in a separate conversation with his mother.

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“I could literally be arrested and not even get a free copy of the book,” he wrote, adding that the legal basis was “disclosure of confidential information.”

Authorities said Williams signed numerous confidentiality agreements during his time with the military unit and was expressly warned that unauthorized disclosure of classified materials could violate federal law.

UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters fly over Fort Bragg, NC (Sergeant Steven Galimore/US Army)

The complaint also states that the leaked information could pose serious risks, including exposing military personnel to danger and compromising operations if adversaries examine the announced tactics.

“The tradecraft, tactics and techniques used by the U.S. military unit in this case are classified and should be shared only with those with appropriate clearance and a need to know to protect American lives and protect classified National Defense information,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of North Carolina.

“These are serious accusations. Anyone who discloses to a reporter for publication information they have promised to protect is reckless, self-serving, and detrimental to our nation’s security.”

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Authorities said Williams signed multiple confidentiality agreements and was warned that releasing classified materials could violate federal law.

The FBI Charlotte Field Office is investigating the case with “valuable assistance” from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina.

Fox News Digital reached out to Politico.