Ashley Tellis, a distinguished Indian-American scholar and former advisor to the US government, has been taken into custody on charges related to the unauthorized possession of sensitive national security materials. Authorities discovered thousands of pages of classified documents at his residence in Virginia.
At 64 years old, Tellis is known for his tenure on the national security council during George W. Bush’s administration and for playing a pivotal role in the negotiation of the US-India nuclear agreement. His arrest occurred over the weekend amid serious allegations.
Court filings reveal that FBI agents conducted a search of Tellis’s home, uncovering a vast collection of top secret and classified documents. Given his previous roles within the State Department and the Pentagon, Tellis held a top secret security clearance.
The accusations include claims that Tellis accessed both State Department and defense facilities, where he either printed or requested colleagues to print classified materials concerning US military aircraft capabilities using government computers.
Furthermore, the FBI alleges that Tellis engaged in multiple meetings with Chinese officials over several years, during which he purportedly handed over documents concealed in an envelope.
Tellis has firmly denied all allegations. His legal representatives issued a statement emphasizing his reputation as a respected academic and senior policy advisor, asserting their intent to vigorously challenge any claims suggesting he acted on behalf of a foreign power.
Having served in the US foreign service, Tellis is also a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a prominent Washington-based think tank, where he gained recognition as an expert on strategic US-India relations.
Tellis maintained top-level security clearance due to his Pentagon work. Photograph: Daniel Slim/AFP/Getty
In India, Tellis’s birthplace and where he frequently provided foreign policy analysis, his arrest sparked intense political debate. Amit Malviya, head of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s IT cell, which manages digital and social media, remarked, “The adversarial forces targeting India are beginning to unravel in ways few anticipated,” referencing Tellis’s critical commentary on certain BJP policies.
Officials from the Trump administration, including former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, have pledged to hold accountable those who improperly handle classified information.
Lindsey Halligan, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, described the charges as posing a significant threat to national safety and security.
While a State Department spokesperson confirmed Tellis’s arrest on Saturday, they refrained from providing additional details. The Pentagon also declined to comment, citing ongoing legal proceedings.
