Ex–Army Delta Force Unit Employee Courtney Williams Charged With Transmitting Classified National Defense Information to Journalist
Courtney Williams, a former Army employee who worked with Delta Force, has been charged under 18 U.S.C. § 793(d) with transmitting classified national defense information to a journalist; prosecutors allege she leaked SECRET/NOFORN-level tactics, techniques and procedures used in covert missions. Authorities say the communications with the reporter occurred from 2022 to 2025 and involved hundreds of minutes of calls and about 180 text messages; FBI Director Kash Patel and Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg warned the Bureau will not tolerate leaks, while AP-linked reporting ties the unnamed journalist to Seth Harp, who has called Williams a whistleblower and alleges the prosecution is retaliation for exposing sexual harassment and gender discrimination within Delta Force.
📌 Key Facts
- Courtney Williams, a former Fort Bragg employee who worked with a Delta Force unit, has been charged under 18 U.S.C. § 793(d) with transmitting classified national defense information to a journalist.
- Prosecutors allege Williams leaked classified tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) used in covert missions by elite military units; the material is classified at the SECRET/NOFORN level.
- Court papers say Williams had extensive communications with the journalist from 2022 to 2025, including hundreds of minutes of phone calls and roughly 180 text messages.
- AP-linked reporting ties the unnamed journalist in the court filings to Seth Harp (who has published a Politico excerpt and a book about Delta Force and Williams); Harp has called Williams a “brave whistleblower and truth-teller” and said the prosecution is retaliation for her exposing sexual harassment and gender discrimination within Delta Force.
- FBI Director Kash Patel publicly warned on X that the Bureau “will not tolerate” leakers and is “working these cases” and making arrests.
- Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg emphasized that clearance holders have a “solemn obligation” to protect classified information and pledged swift accountability for violations.
📊 Relevant Data
Women make up less than 10% of U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) personnel, compared to about 19% of the overall Department of Defense workforce as of 2022.
Women in Special Operations: Improvements to Policy, Data, and Assessments Needed to Better Understand and Address Career Barriers — U.S. Government Accountability Office
44% of female Soldiers in Army Special Operations Forces reported experiencing equipment-fitting challenges with body armor, helmets, and ruck systems, impacting their performance of basic maneuvers and skills.
USASOC study outlines measures to optimize female Soldiers — U.S. Army
In the U.S. military in 2018, 6.2% of active-duty women reported experiences consistent with sexual assault, compared to 0.7% of active-duty men.
Prevalence of Sexual Assault in the Military — RAND Corporation
80% of male respondents in a 2023 U.S. Army Special Operations Command study reported that gender-related concerns had no impact on their decision to remain in special operations forces.
USASOC study outlines measures to optimize female Soldiers — U.S. Army
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Confirms the charged statute as 18 U.S.C. § 793(d), specifying the precise legal basis.
- Details that Williams allegedly leaked classified tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) used in covert missions by elite military units, with information classified at the SECRET/NOFORN level.
- Provides timeline specifics: alleged extensive communications with the journalist from 2022 to 2025, including hundreds of minutes of calls and roughly 180 text messages.
- Includes FBI Director Kash Patel’s public statement on X warning that the Bureau “will not tolerate” leakers and is “working these cases” and “making arrests.”
- Quotes Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg emphasizing clearance holders’ “solemn obligation” to protect classified information and pledging swift accountability for violations.
- Relays journalist Seth Harp’s statement calling Williams a “brave whistleblower and truth-teller” and alleging the prosecution is retaliation for exposing sexual harassment and gender discrimination within Delta Force.
- Clarifies that AP-linked reporting ties the unnamed journalist in court papers to Seth Harp and his Politico excerpt and book about Delta Force and Williams’ experiences there.