FBI Director Kash Patel
A North Carolina woman who once held a Top Secret security clearance is facing federal charges after allegedly leaking national defense secrets to a reporter. Courtney Williams, 40, was arrested by the FBI on Tuesday and indicted by a federal grand jury the following day.
Williams, a resident of Wagram, is accused of violating the Espionage Act. Prosecutors say that between 2022 and 2025, she maintained a secret line of communication with a journalist, engaging in over 10 hours of phone calls and exchanging more than 180 text messages.
According to court documents, the journalist explicitly told Williams they were seeking information about a Special Military Unit (SMU) for an upcoming book and article.
The resulting publications allegedly named Williams as a source and included specific details that the government classifies as sensitive national defense information. Investigators claim Williams also shared classified data on her personal social media accounts.
READ: U.S. Public Opinion Hits Record Lows For Israel And Netanyahu Amid Regional Conflict
From 2010 to 2016, Williams worked for the SMU, where she had daily access to highly sensitive intelligence. Officials noted that she had signed a non-disclosure agreement and received extensive training on the legal consequences of mishandling such data.
Evidence presented in the indictment suggests Williams was aware of the risks she was taking. On the day the book was released, she reportedly messaged the journalist expressing concern over the amount of classified material being made public.
In other messages to third parties, she allegedly predicted her own arrest, citing the specific statute of the Espionage Act she is now charged with violating. At one point, she reportedly told an acquaintance she was “probably going to jail for life,” noting that the rules regarding secrecy were drilled into her “100 times a day” throughout her career.
Federal officials emphasized the gravity of the breach.
Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg stated that protecting classified information is a “solemn obligation” vital to national security. FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky added that the disclosure put American warfighters and allies at risk, describing the indictment as a warning to other clearance holders.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Charlotte Field Office. While the charges are severe, the Justice Department reminded the public that an indictment is an allegation and Williams is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
Former Army Employee In North Carolina Arrested For Massive Classified Leak To Journalist
