NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Washington, DC, October 15, 2025: The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Tuesday the arrest of Ashley J. Tellis, a prominent foreign policy expert of Indian origin and former U.S. diplomat, on federal charges of unlawfully retaining classified national defense information. Tellis, 64, was taken into custody in Vienna, Virginia, where he resides, and now faces prosecution under the Espionage Act, specifically Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 793(e).
According to a statement issued by the Justice Department, Tellis “unlawfully retained numerous documents containing national defense information, including documents marked as Top Secret and Secret.” Prosecutors allege that more than 1,000 pages of classified documents were found at his residence during an FBI search, including sensitive information about U.S. Air Force tactics and aircraft capabilities.
Tellis, widely regarded as one of Washington’s leading “India hands,” has advised multiple U.S. administrations on South Asia policy. He served as a senior official on the National Security Council during the George W. Bush administration, played a key role in shaping the U.S.-India civil nuclear agreement, and was a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Court filings claim that Tellis, who maintained high-level security clearances during his government service, continued to access and print classified documents from government buildings even after his tenure ended. Some of these documents were allegedly removed from secure facilities and taken home in a briefcase.
The affidavit further notes that Tellis had met with Chinese government officials on several occasions in recent years. During one such meeting in 2022, investigators say, he was seen carrying a manila folder into the meeting and leaving without it. However, prosecutors have not accused Tellis of sharing classified information with any foreign government, and there is no public allegation of espionage beyond the unauthorized retention charge.
If convicted, Tellis faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. A detention hearing is expected later this week.
The case falls under the Espionage Act’s Section 793(e), which criminalizes the unauthorized possession and retention of national defense information. While the statute does not require proof of intent to aid a foreign power, it does require prosecutors to demonstrate that the defendant knowingly kept such documents without authorization.
Tellis, who was born in Mumbai and educated at the University of Chicago, is considered one of the foremost American experts on U.S.-India strategic relations. His arrest has sent shockwaves through Washington’s foreign policy community, where he was widely respected for decades of scholarship and public service.
The Justice Department emphasized that the charges are allegations and that Tellis, like any defendant, is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Cover photo credit: Wikipedia.
