We are calling on the Department of Justice to drop the Espionage Act charges against Courtney Williams immediately.

Courtney Williams is a U.S. Army veteran who spoke out about the gender discrimination and sexual harassment she endured as a contractor working with a “special military unit” at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Williams’ disclosures informed the reporting by investigative journalist Seth Harp in his groundbreaking expose The Fort Bragg Cartel.

Now months after the book’s publication, Williams has been charged under the draconian Espionage Act for allegedly revealing classified information.

The Espionage Act is one of the most abusive laws in the U.S. legal code. The World War I-era law has been used for over a century to silence dissent and punish political adversaries. In the modern era, the Act has been the go-to weapon of choice to persecute whistleblowers, casting their conscientious objections as traitorous spying.

The law explicitly disregards a defendant’s motives, so someone warning the public about cover-ups, crimes, and abuse is treated the same as a double agent selling secrets to a foreign power. Each count carries 10 years in prison.

The prosecution of Courtney Williams is a transparent attempt to retaliate against a whistleblower who exposed widespread sexism at her place of employment. It’s also an attack on Harp, who has himself been threatened with Espionage Act charges for his national security reporting.

The Trump administration is attempting to punish Williams and silence Harp, and to intimidate future whistleblowers and the journalists who tell their stories. We stand in solidarity with Courtney Williams and all whistleblowers who share truthful information in the public interest. The charges against Williams must be dropped immediately.