Indian-origin US defence expert Ashley Tellis arrested for retaining classified documents
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Ashley J. Tellis, a prominent foreign policy scholar and defence strategist of Indian origin in the US, has been arrested and charged with unlawfully retaining classified national defence information.
The arrest was announced by the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Tellis, 64, serves as a senior fellow and Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
He was taken into custody over the weekend after a federal investigation into his handling of restricted government materials. Prosecutors allege that Tellis violated 18 USC & 793(e), which prohibits the unauthorised possession or retention of defence-related documents.
According to the charges, investigators are also examining whether Tellis removed classified documents from secure locations and met with Chinese officials.
US Attorney Lindsey Halligan, in a press release, said the alleged conduct posed “a grave risk to the safety and security of our (US) citizens.”
If convicted, Tellis could face up to 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and forfeiture of the materials involved. Authorities emphasised that the charges remain allegations and that Tellis is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Tellis has long been recognised as one of Washington’s leading experts on South Asian security and US-India relations. A distinguished academic and policy practitioner, he has served in several key roles within the US government, including as senior adviser to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs. He played a significant role in negotiating the US-India Civil Nuclear Agreement.
He also worked on the National Security Council as special assistant to President George W. Bush and senior director for strategic planning and Southwest Asia. Before joining the government, Tellis was a senior policy analyst and professor at the RAND Corporation.
His academic work includes several influential books, such as Striking Asymmetries: Nuclear Transitions in Southern Asia and Revising US Grand Strategy Toward China. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Reports from US media suggest that investigators are reviewing Tellis’s professional interactions with Chinese officials during academic exchanges. While no espionage charges have been filed, prosecutors claim that his possession of classified materials violated federal security protocols.
A federal judge is expected to decide bond conditions later this week as the case moves forward.