State Department Adviser Charged with Removing Classified Documents and Meeting Chinese Officials

Tellis, an expert on South Asian affairs, has been implicated in a serious security breach involving classified materials.

Washington:

A State Department employee has been charged with illegally removing classified documents from secure government facilities and engaging in multiple meetings with Chinese officials since 2023, according to Fox News reports.

The Justice Department identified Ashley Tellis as an unpaid senior adviser to the State Department who also contracted with the Office of Net Assessment at the Department of Defense, recently rebranded as the Department of War.

Within the Office of Net Assessment, Tellis was recognized for his expertise on India and South Asian regional affairs.

Legal documents reveal that Tellis began his State Department career in 2001. He now faces allegations of unlawful retention of national defense information, as detailed in a court affidavit.

Federal prosecutors indicated that Tellis possessed a top-secret clearance with access to sensitive information. Concurrently, he maintained employment as a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Fox News stated.

During an investigation of his Vienna, Virginia residence, authorities discovered over one thousand pages of documents marked "TOP SECRET" and "SECRET," according to court filings.

On September 12, Tellis reportedly requested a colleague at a government facility to print several classified documents for him.

Subsequently, on September 25, prosecutors allege he printed US Air Force documents detailing military aircraft capabilities.

Federal officials further claim that Tellis conducted several meetings with Chinese government representatives over recent years.

In one September 2022 incident, prosecutors state he met with Chinese officials at a Virginia restaurant while carrying a manila envelope.

During another encounter on April 11, 2023, authorities reported that Tellis and Chinese officials were overheard discussing Iranian-Chinese relations and emerging technologies during dinner.

Court documents additionally mention that Tellis received a gift bag during a September 2 dinner meeting with Chinese officials.

Fox News reports that the Justice Department's investigation continues, with federal prosecutors emphasizing the sensitive nature of documents recovered from Tellis's home.