Ashley Tellis Arrested: US Scholar Charged with Retaining Top Secret Documents

Ashley J Tellis, a prominent US scholar known for his expertise on India and his advisory roles to successive US administrations, has been arrested and charged with unlawfully retaining classified information and allegedly meeting Chinese officials. According to the US Justice Department, Tellis—who served on the National Security Council under former President George W. Bush—printed and stored more than 1,000 pages of highly sensitive government records at his home in filing cabinets and even trash bags.

Background of the Case

The 64-year-old scholar, listed in an FBI court affidavit as an unpaid adviser to the State Department and a Pentagon contractor, allegedly accessed classified documents from Defence and State Department buildings during September and October 2025. The affidavit details surveillance operations capturing Tellis printing materials, including documents marked “Top Secret,” and placing them in notepads and leather briefcases before leaving the facilities.

Details from the FBI Affidavit

The FBI affidavit, sworn by Special Agent Jeffrey Scott, describes a surveillance operation beginning on September 25, 2025. Tellis was observed entering the Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) at the Pentagon's Office of Net Assessment (ONA) in Alexandria, Virginia. Video footage showed him printing multiple classified documents, including one marked top secret, and later concealing them in 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," the affidavit stated. He subsequently placed the notepads in his leather briefcase and left the facility.

On the same day, Tellis accessed the Department of State’s “Classnet” system, used for classified communications. Logs revealed that he opened and re-saved a 1,288-page US Air Force document, deceptively renaming it “Econ Reform,” and printed sections in multiple batches. Later, he deleted the file from the computer system.

Over the following weeks, investigators tracked Tellis’ movements. On October 10, 2025, he was again seen entering the ONA SCIF with his leather briefcase, reportedly reading previously printed top secret documents and slipping them into notepads before leaving.

Search and Discovery

The FBI executed a court-approved search of Tellis’ Vienna, Virginia, home on October 11. The search uncovered over a thousand pages of classified documents with top secret and secret markings, stored in locked cabinets, on his desk, and even in "three large black trash bags in an unfinished basement storage room." The scope of the documents raised significant concerns about potential national security breaches.

Alleged Meetings with Chinese Officials

The affidavit also indicates that Tellis met multiple times with officials from the People’s Republic of China in Fairfax, Virginia. On one occasion in September, he entered a meeting carrying a manila envelope. In previous meetings, Chinese officials reportedly presented him with gift bags. Prosecutors noted that Tellis held a Top Secret security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information due to his employment with the State Department and Pentagon.

Potential Penalties

If convicted, Tellis faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for unlawfully retaining classified defence information. Lindsey Halligan, the US attorney for Virginia’s Eastern District, stated, "The charges as alleged in this case represent a grave risk to the safety and security of our citizens." The Justice Department emphasized the seriousness of the allegations and the potential threat to national security.

Who is Ashley Tellis ?

Originally from India and now a naturalized US citizen, Ashley Tellis is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He played a key role in negotiating the Bush administration’s civil nuclear deal with India, which helped strengthen US-India ties. In recent years, Tellis has been an outspoken commentator on US-India relations, critiquing India’s alignment with Russia and Iran, and questioning whether India could match China’s growing influence in the region. In a Foreign Affairs essay, Tellis remarked that India often pursued policies at odds with the United States, highlighting his critical stance on strategic matters.

The arrest of Ashley Tellis has sent shockwaves through Washington, raising questions about security protocols and the handling of top-secret documents. As the investigation unfolds, authorities will likely examine the extent of his interactions with foreign officials and the potential national security implications. The case underscores the risks associated with the unauthorized retention of classified information, even by experienced policy advisors with longstanding ties to the US government.