Who is Ashley Tellis? Mumbai-born US policy heavyweight caught with secret files, China ties
A respected voice on U.S.-India relations, Tellis served on the National Security Council under President George W. Bush and held advisory roles across multiple administrations.
- Oct 15, 2025,
- Updated Oct 15, 2025 7:23 AM IST
Ashley Tellis, a prominent U.S. policy strategist and longtime adviser on South Asia, has been arrested for unlawfully hoarding classified documents and allegedly meeting with Chinese government officials.
Tellis, 64, was arrested over the weekend and charged with illegally retaining national defense information, including over 1,000 pages of top secret and secret files. The documents were discovered scattered across his Virginia home — inside locked cabinets, trash bags, and his basement office, according to court filings unsealed Monday.
A respected voice on U.S.-India relations, Tellis served on the National Security Council under President George W. Bush and held advisory roles across multiple administrations. He is also listed as a Pentagon contractor and an unpaid State Department adviser in the FBI affidavit.
Tellis’s alleged offenses span beyond document hoarding. Prosecutors say he met with Chinese officials on multiple occasions — including a September 2025 dinner in Fairfax, Virginia, where he was seen carrying a manila envelope into the meeting but not leaving with it. In another 2023 encounter, he reportedly discussed Iran-China ties and artificial intelligence over dinner.
Surveillance footage, witness accounts, and a fingerprint-unlocked laptop tie Tellis to the mishandled files. One meeting allegedly ended with a gift bag exchange.
Tellis held Top Secret clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information. Prosecutors warn his actions posed a “grave risk” to U.S. security.
“We are fully focused on protecting the American people from all threats, foreign and domestic,” said U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan.
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where Tellis is a senior fellow, has not commented. Neither has his attorney.
Tellis, who holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and was born in Mumbai, rose to prominence for his deep influence on U.S.-India-China policy. His arrest now casts a shadow over a career once viewed as central to Washington’s South Asia strategy.
If convicted, Tellis faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Ashley Tellis, a prominent U.S. policy strategist and longtime adviser on South Asia, has been arrested for unlawfully hoarding classified documents and allegedly meeting with Chinese government officials.
Tellis, 64, was arrested over the weekend and charged with illegally retaining national defense information, including over 1,000 pages of top secret and secret files. The documents were discovered scattered across his Virginia home — inside locked cabinets, trash bags, and his basement office, according to court filings unsealed Monday.
A respected voice on U.S.-India relations, Tellis served on the National Security Council under President George W. Bush and held advisory roles across multiple administrations. He is also listed as a Pentagon contractor and an unpaid State Department adviser in the FBI affidavit.
Tellis’s alleged offenses span beyond document hoarding. Prosecutors say he met with Chinese officials on multiple occasions — including a September 2025 dinner in Fairfax, Virginia, where he was seen carrying a manila envelope into the meeting but not leaving with it. In another 2023 encounter, he reportedly discussed Iran-China ties and artificial intelligence over dinner.
Surveillance footage, witness accounts, and a fingerprint-unlocked laptop tie Tellis to the mishandled files. One meeting allegedly ended with a gift bag exchange.
Tellis held Top Secret clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information. Prosecutors warn his actions posed a “grave risk” to U.S. security.
“We are fully focused on protecting the American people from all threats, foreign and domestic,” said U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan.
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where Tellis is a senior fellow, has not commented. Neither has his attorney.
Tellis, who holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and was born in Mumbai, rose to prominence for his deep influence on U.S.-India-China policy. His arrest now casts a shadow over a career once viewed as central to Washington’s South Asia strategy.
If convicted, Tellis faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.