A longtime foreign policy scholar and former government adviser, Ashley Tellis, was arrested in Vienna, VA, after FBI agents found hundreds of classified documents in his home. Tellis, who previously served on the National Security Council under President George W. Bush and later as a Pentagon contractor and State Department consultant, now faces charges of unlawfully retaining national defense information.
According to court records released this week, investigators discovered more than a thousand documents marked classified, some detailing U.S. Air Force tactics and technologies. The Justice Department said Tellis could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.
The FBI affidavit also describes meetings with Chinese government officials over several years, including a 2023 dinner in a D.C. suburb where Tellis allegedly discussed topics, such as artificial intelligence and Iran-China relations. It’s not yet clear whether any classified information was shared.
Tellis, an expert on South Asian security affairs, was affiliated with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he held the Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs. The think tank confirmed that he has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
His attorneys, Deborah Curtis and John Nassikas, called Tellis “a widely respected scholar and senior policy advisor,” and said they will “vigorously contest the allegations,” rejecting any suggestion he was acting on behalf of a foreign government.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, led by Lindsey Halligan, who called the charges a “grave risk to the safety and security of our citizens.” Tellis made his first court appearance on Tuesday, with a detention hearing scheduled for October 21.
Why This Case Matters
While every case involving classified information draws attention, this one highlights how even experienced policy experts can fall under scrutiny for how sensitive data is handled outside secure facilities. Tellis’s background—spanning decades of government service and academic influence—makes the case especially notable inside Washington’s national security circles.
The State Department and Pentagon have declined to comment. The Carnegie Endowment said it is cooperating with authorities. Tellis, who was born in India and later became a U.S. citizen, has not yet entered a plea.
For now, the case serves as another reminder that safeguarding classified materials isn’t just a bureaucratic requirement—it’s a cornerstone of national trust.
