E-Paper
Kash Patel issues warning to 'would-be leakers' after Courtney Williams' arrest, ‘This FBI will not…’
FBI Director Kash Patel has shared a message for “would-be leakers” after the arrest of US Army Special Operations veteran named Courtney Williams.
FBI Director Kash Patel has shared a message for “would-be leakers” after the arrest of US Army Special Operations veteran named Courtney Williams, who is facing federal charges for allegedly transmitting classified military tactics and procedures to journalist Seth Harp for his 2025 book on Fort Bragg. On Wednesday, April 8, Williams was charged due to allegations she provided classified information to Harp.
In an X post, Patel wrote, “FBI and our partners have arrested a former SOCOM employee, who supported our top-level military warfighters, for allegedly transmitting classified information to a member of the media. Outstanding work by @FBICharlotte and the FBI Counterintelligence & Espionage Division - as well as our @TheJusticeDept partners.”
He added, “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.”
What we know about the Courtney Williams case
When Williams was hired in 2010 and again when she left her job in 2015, she signed a Classified Information Nondisclosure Agreement, the complaint stated, according to WRAL News. The criminal complaint, which details communication between Williams and the journalist, does not name Harp. However, Harp wrote a book and an accompanying article highlighting Williams throughout.
The complaint stated that Williams spent at least 10 hours on the phone with Harp. She exchanged about 180 text messages with him between 2022 and 2024.
A message from Harp discusses the exchange of data: “Just wanted to let you know I dropped this in the mail today for the thumb drive. It’s stamped and addressed and ready to be sent back, no need to go to the post office!”
Williams reportedly saved documents on her computer with file names “Batch 1 for Reporter,” “Batch 2 for Reporter”. There were at least 10 batches of documents that Williams was planning to share with Harp, which included personnel documents from her time with the Special Military Unit (SMU).
During the reviewing of the article amid investigation, the complaint said it “determined that it contained information that is properly classified as SECRET.”
It added, “The classified information comprised, in part, specific Tactics, Techniques & Procedures (TTPs) utilized by this (SMU) to execute sensitive missions.”
Read More | Who is Seth Harp? All about journalist who received Delta Force secrets from Army veteran Courtney Williams
Harp’s book – The Fort Bragg Cartel: Drug Trafficking and Murder in the Special Forces – was released in August 2025. The book talks about various sexual harassment and discrimination experiences Williams had during her eight years with Delta Force, which is an elite counterterrorism unit based at Fort Bragg. It often operates in secrecy.
Williams, after being relieved of her position, filed an EEOC complaint for discrimination. She told Harp that she was later given a settlement “sufficient to buy a small house in North Carolina.”
