Ashley J. Tellis, a prominent U.S. foreign policy expert of Indian origin, was arrested over the weekend and charged with the unlawful retention of national defense information. The 64-year-old former National Security Council staffer and senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is accused of unlawfully possessing over 1,000 pages of classified documents at his residence in Vienna, Virginia.
According to court documents, Tellis, who held top-secret clearance through his roles with the Defense and State Departments, accessed and printed sensitive materials, including information on U.S. military aircraft capabilities, from government facilities. Surveillance footage reportedly shows him leaving these facilities with a briefcase containing the printed documents.
The charges stem from violations of 18 U.S. Code § 793, which pertains to the unauthorized retention of defense information. If convicted, Tellis faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. His attorneys have denied the allegations, asserting that he did not act on behalf of any foreign government and pledging to vigorously contest the charges.
Tellis’s arrest has drawn significant attention due to his influential role in shaping U.S.-India relations. He played a key part in negotiating the civil nuclear agreement between the U.S. and India during the George W. Bush administration. Additionally, he has been an unpaid adviser to the State Department and a contractor with the Pentagon’s Office of Net Assessment.
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace has placed Tellis on administrative leave pending the outcome of the legal proceedings. A detention hearing is scheduled for October 21.
This case highlights ongoing concerns over the handling of classified information and the potential security risks posed by unauthorized disclosures. The outcome of the legal proceedings will likely have implications for policies regarding the safeguarding of sensitive government materials.