2LT International News

WASHINGTON, D.C.: A senior U.S. State Department adviser and expert on India and South Asia, Ashley Tellis, has been accused by the Justice Department of keeping over 1,000 pages of classified documents at his home, some stored in filing cabinets and trash bags.

Tellis, who has also worked with the Defense Department’s Office of Net Assessment, was charged in federal court in Virginia with unlawfully keeping national defense information. The FBI said it found many documents marked “secret” and “top secret” during a weekend search of his home.

Tellis was detained on October 14 and will have a hearing next week. His lawyer, Deborah Curtis, told The Associated Press that they look forward to presenting evidence but offered no further comment.

According to the FBI, Tellis was seen in September and October entering State and Defense Department buildings, printing classified materials, and leaving with a leather briefcase. Surveillance footage reportedly shows him leaving the buildings several times with the same briefcase believed to contain the papers.

Investigators also say Tellis met several times with Chinese government officials in recent years. At a 2022 dinner, he arrived with a manila folder, while the Chinese officials brought a gift bag. The FBI says he no longer had the folder when he left, but did not accuse him of giving away classified information.

Tellis is a well-known foreign policy expert, serving as a senior fellow and the Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He also previously served on the White House National Security Council under President George W. Bush.

The Mumbai-born scholar earned a PhD in political science from the University of Chicago. He also holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from the University of Bombay and a master’s in political science from the University of Chicago. Tellis is the author of several books and research papers on international relations and strategic affairs.

If convicted, Tellis could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of US$250,000. Prosecutor Lindsey Halligan said the charges show a serious threat to national security, adding that the Justice Department remains focused on protecting Americans from “all threats, foreign and domestic.”