Ashley Tellis: Indian-American Security Expert Arrested for Illegally Retaining Classified Documents and Meeting Chinese Officials

Video surveillance documented Ashley Tellis printing multiple classified documents, including material designated as top secret.

Washington:

Ashley J Tellis, a prominent US scholar on India who has advised multiple American administrations, has been arrested and charged with illegally retaining classified information and allegedly engaging with Chinese officials. The US Justice Department has accused Tellis—who served on George W Bush's National Security Council—of printing classified documents and storing over 1,000 pages of highly sensitive government materials in filing cabinets and trash bags at his residence.

The 64-year-old Tellis is identified in an FBI court affidavit as an unpaid State Department advisor and Pentagon contractor.

According to FBI documentation, during September and October this year, Tellis was observed entering Defense and State Department buildings where he accessed and printed classified documents, including information about military aircraft capabilities, before departing with materials in a leather briefcase or bag.

The affidavit by FBI Special Agent Jeffrey Scott details a comprehensive surveillance operation that commenced after Tellis was seen entering the Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) at the Pentagon's Office of Net Assessment in Alexandria, Virginia late on September 25.

Surveillance footage showed Tellis "printing multiple classified documents," including top secret materials, which he subsequently concealed within notepads.

"Tellis was observed... placing documents, including one classified at the TOP SECRET level, in and amongst his notepads, then straightening them so they aligned with the pages," states the affidavit.

"He then placed the notepads containing the documents into his leather briefcase and left the facility."

On September 25, 2025, according to the affidavit, Tellis accessed the State Department's "Classnet" system for classified communications. Records showed he opened and re-saved a 1,288-page US Air Force document, deceptively renaming it "Econ Reform" before printing sections in multiple batches.

"Tellis clicked on the printer selection drop-down menu and selected a printer located at HST. At approximately 8:26 pm, Tellis pressed the print button," the affidavit noted. He subsequently deleted the file from the computer system.

Investigators tracked his movements over subsequent weeks, culminating in an operation on October 10, 2025, when Tellis was again observed entering the ONA SCIF carrying the same leather briefcase. Surveillance showed him reviewing what agents identified as previously printed TOP SECRET documents, which he again concealed within his notepads before departing.

The following day, FBI agents executed a court-approved search warrant at his Vienna, Virginia home. The findings were extensive: "Over a thousand pages of paper documents with classification markings at the TOP SECRET and/or SECRET levels", stored in locked cabinets, on his desk, and even in "three large black trash bags in an unfinished basement storage room."

The affidavit indicated that Tellis had multiple meetings with People's Republic of China government officials at a restaurant in Fairfax, Virginia, over the years. During one dinner on September 15, Tellis arrived with a manila envelope but apparently did not leave with it, and on two occasions, Chinese officials presented him with gift bags.

Prosecutors stated that through his employment with the State Department and Pentagon, Tellis held a Top Secret security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information.

A search of his Virginia residence on Saturday, October 11, uncovered over a thousand pages of classified documents with top secret and secret markings. The State Department confirmed that Tellis was arrested Saturday after searches at his home—the same day the affidavit indicated he was scheduled to fly to Rome.

Officials declined further comment due to the ongoing investigation.

The FBI's affidavit concludes there is "probable cause" to believe Tellis willfully retained classified defense information in violation of federal law.

If convicted on charges of unlawfully retaining documents, Tellis faces up to 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine, according to the Justice Department.

"The charges as alleged in this case represent a grave risk to the safety and security of our citizens," stated Lindsey Halligan, US attorney for Virginia's Eastern District, who has become known for pursuing cases against critics of President Donald Trump.

Tellis, a naturalized US citizen originally from India, serves as a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and previously held senior positions under President George W Bush. He played a significant role in negotiating the Bush administration's civil nuclear agreement with India, considered a milestone in strengthening ties between the world's two largest democracies.

In recent years, however, Tellis has emerged as one of Washington's most vocal contrarians regarding US-India relations. In a recent Foreign Affairs essay, he argued that India often pursues policies contrary to US interests, particularly regarding its relations with Russia and Iran, and expressed doubt that India would match China's strength in the foreseeable future.