Washington D.C. – Ashley Tellis, a prominent Indian-American scholar and policy advisor, has been granted pre-trial release after being arrested on espionage charges earlier this month. Tellis, 64, is accused of unlawfully retaining classified national defense information, but he denies any wrongdoing, particularly allegations of leaking information to China.
Tellis, a senior advisor at the U.S. State Department and a contractor with the Department of Defense, was taken into custody after the FBI allegedly found over a thousand pages of classified documents at his home in Vienna, Virginia. Some of these documents were marked as SECRET and TOP SECRET. He faces one count of retaining national defense information, which carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison and fines reaching $250,000 if convicted.
In a preliminary hearing, Tellis's legal team, led by John Nassikas and Deborah Curtis, argued that the case is an overreach by the Justice Department, fueled by heightened tensions between the U.S. and China. They asserted that Tellis, a respected figure with a "lifelong commitment to American national security," had no malicious intent and that his possession of the documents stemmed from "scholarly curiosity" and inadvertent retention due to a demanding schedule. They are vowing to contest all espionage allegations vigorously.
The defense addressed insinuations that Tellis was operating on behalf of a foreign adversary, specifically China. They explained that his meetings with Chinese officials were transparent academic engagements, fully disclosed in security clearance renewals, and standard practice for a foreign policy expert. The attorneys also dismissed claims surrounding a "red gift bag" exchanged with a Chinese delegation over dinner, clarifying it contained tea, a common gift in Asian cultures. "To read something sinister into that gesture is unfounded," they stated.
Prosecutors, however, highlight that Tellis held Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) clearance and had accessed classified materials at both the State Department and the Pentagon’s Office of Net Assessment. They point to instances of Tellis dining with Chinese officials, including one occasion where he allegedly arrived with a manila envelope and departed without it, as potential evidence of wrongdoing.
Judge Lindsey Robinson Vaala of the Eastern District Court of Virginia granted Tellis conditional release on a $1.5 million secured bond, co-signed by his wife, Dhun Tellis, and backed by his family's home. As part of the conditions for his release, Tellis had to surrender his passport, faces travel limitations, restricted internet access, and electronic monitoring.
FBI Counterintelligence Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky stated that Tellis's arrest should serve as a warning to anyone considering undermining national security. Darren Cox, head of the FBI Washington Field Office, added that Tellis allegedly betrayed the trust placed in him by removing classified documents from government facilities and storing them in his basement.
The case has sparked debate in Washington D.C., with some viewing it as a necessary measure to protect national security and others as an example of overzealous counterintelligence. A Chinese analyst, Mao Keji, called Tellis's arrest the end of America's “strategic altruism” toward India, but this view has been countered by those who believe the U.S. is simply acting to defend its interests.
Tellis is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and is recognized as an expert on strategic affairs and U.S.-India relations. His next hearing is scheduled for November 4.
