Former Army Employee Featured in Politico Faces Charges for Allegedly Leaking Classified Information to Journalist

An ex-Army staffer, featured by Politico, faced indictment on Wednesday for allegedly disclosing classified information to a journalist.

Courtney Williams, 40, possessed a top-secret security clearance while employed at a “special military unit” stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, from 2010 to 2016, as detailed in the indictment.

She allegedly maintained communication with journalist and author Seth Harp through phone calls and text messages from 2022 to 2025. During these interactions, Williams reportedly conveyed “classified national defense information,” which Harp later included in a book and a magazine article published by Politico.

Harp cited Williams directly in his August 2025 exposé, which investigated claims of sexual misconduct and drug trafficking within the Army’s elite Delta Force.

Exactly which elements within Harp’s article or book were classified remains unclear. The indictment highlights that the contentious material pertains to sensitive “Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs)” of the special military unit.

Williams reportedly voiced her unease regarding Harp’s attributions in text messages she allegedly sent to both the journalist and her mother following the publication of his story.

“I wish you had sent me a copy of what was to be published prior to publishing …  I would definitely have been concerned with the amount of classified information being disclosed,” she wrote in one text message to the reporter, according to the indictment.  

“I thought things I was telling you so you could have a better general understanding of how the [SMU] was set up or operated would not be published and it feels like an entire TTP was sent out in my name giving them a chance to legally persecute me,” she added.   

Williams, per the indictment, noted, “I’m taking deep breaths, but have a feeling this is going to be more of a nightmare for my children than not.” 

The former Army employee then lamented to her mother, “I might actually get arrested, and I don’t even get a free copy of the book,” according to another text message included in the charging documents.  

When her mother asked why she might be arrested, Williams allegedly responded, “For disclosing classified information.”

Harp did not respond to The Post’s request for comment. 

In a statement posted on social media, he described Williams as a “courageous whistleblower” and called her arrest “an outrage.” 

In addition to the sensitive information she allegedly provided Harp, Williams is also accused of making “unauthorized disclosures of national defense information” on social media. 

FBI Director Kash Patel said Williams’ arrest should “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,” Patel wrote on X.