A 40-year-old former Department of Defense employee from Wagram, North Carolina, has been arrested and indicted on charges that she slipped classified national defense information to a journalist, according to federal court filings. Prosecutors say the alleged leaks trace back to her work supporting a special military unit based at Fort Bragg, a role that put her close to some of the U.S. military's most sensitive operations.
The Justice Department unsealed the case in federal court in Raleigh on Wednesday, with the FBI leading the investigation, according to AP. "Anyone divulging information they vowed to protect to a reporter for publication is reckless, self-serving and damages our nation's security," Reid Davis, the FBI special agent in charge in North Carolina, said in a Justice Department news release, as reported by AP.
What Prosecutors Say Happened
Prosecutors allege that Courtney Williams held a top-secret clearance while working as an operational support technician, handling duties tied to tactics, techniques and procedures used in sensitive missions for the unit between 2010 and 2016, according to The News & Observer. Court filings and an affidavit cited by the outlet say her access was suspended following an internal review, she was formally debriefed in September 2015 and signed a nondisclosure agreement.
Investigators now allege that, despite those warnings, she later communicated with a journalist between 2022 and 2025, exchanging more than 180 text messages, logging over 10 hours of phone calls and sharing at least 10 batches of documents, according to the filings described by The News & Observer.
Reporting Trail And Public Debate
The indictment does not identify the journalist or the military unit by name. However, the dates and descriptions line up with reporting by Seth Harp, who profiled a woman identified as Williams in a 2025 Politico magazine feature and in his book The Fort Bragg Cartel, Politico reported.
Harp has publicly defended Williams, calling her a "brave whistleblower," according to Politico. That stance has helped turn the case into a flashpoint between national security officials, who frame the matter as a straightforward leak of secrets, and advocates who argue that insiders in elite units sometimes have few options when they see wrongdoing.
Charges And Possible Prison Time
Federal prosecutors have charged Williams under a provision of the Espionage Act that criminalizes the unlawful disclosure of national defense information, and say she could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted, according to the Justice Department release cited by AP. Government filings say investigators identified specific batches of classified material that were allegedly intended for the reporter, and that the case is being handled by the FBI and the U.S. attorney's office in the district.
What Comes Next In Court
Williams has already made an initial appearance in federal court, where a magistrate judge ordered the case unsealed. She was ordered held by U.S. Marshals, with additional hearings set for early next week, according to The News & Observer.
Court records did not immediately list an attorney for Williams, and a family member who answered the phone declined to comment, the outlet reported.
