India-US Policy Expert Arrested for Removing Classified Files from Pentagon Facility

India-US Policy Expert Arrested for Removing Classified Files from Pentagon Facility

US-India relations expert alleged to have retained classified information and met Chinese officials

File Photo (Ashley Tellis)

A former Pentagon contractor and State Department adviser has been charged with unlawfully removing classified materials from a government facility after investigators discovered more than a thousand classified documents at his Virginia home.

According to court filings, some of the materials allegedly accessed and taken by Ashley Tellis, a South Asia affairs expert, contained sensitive information related to Air Force tactics and techniques.

An FBI affidavit, unsealed on Tuesday, stated that Tellis had met several times over the past few years with Chinese government officials. During a dinner with such officials in a Washington, D.C., suburb in April 2023, he was reportedly overheard discussing Iran-China relations and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence. It remains unclear from the affidavit whether any classified information was shared with the Chinese representatives. 

Tellis made his initial court appearance on Tuesday, with a detention hearing set for October 21.

Attorneys Deborah Curtis and John Nassikas, representing Tellis, released a statement on Wednesday describing him as “a widely respected scholar and senior policy adviser,” and said they would “vigorously contest the allegations,” especially any claim that he acted on behalf of a foreign power.

Tellis, who did not immediately respond to requests for comment, is listed as an unpaid State Department adviser and a contractor for the Office of Net Assessment (ONA) — the Pentagon’s internal think tank tasked with forecasting long-term security threats. The Defense Department announced in March that the ONA would be dismantled and restructured.

Born in India and later naturalized as a U.S. citizen, Tellis also serves as a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a major Washington-based think tank where he continued to publish analyses until last week.

In a statement to CNN, Katelynn Vogt, a spokesperson for the Carnegie Endowment, said, “We are aware of the allegations against Ashley J. Tellis. He has been placed on administrative leave, including suspension from his role as Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs.”

According to a source familiar with the matter, Lindsey Halligan, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia appointed under former President Donald Trump, authorized the search and charges. “The charges as alleged represent a serious threat to the safety and security of our citizens,” Halligan said in a statement.

A State Department official confirmed that Tellis is a consultant and was arrested on Saturday

This case follows the recent conviction of U.S. Navy sailor Jinchao Wei, who in August was found guilty of espionage for selling Navy secrets to a Chinese intelligence officer in exchange for $12,000, according to the Justice Department.


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