Ex-White House advisor accused of amassing troves of top secret files

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
Today 18:15
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Federal prosecutors say Ashley Tellis, a former White House and State Department official, kept thousands of pages of classified material at his Virginia home.

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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, in Washington (AP)

A prominent Indian-American scholar and former White House advisor has been arrested and charged with unlawfully retaining classified national security documents, including thousands of pages of top-secret material discovered at his home in Virginia.

Ashley Tellis, 64, who served on the National Security Council under former US President George W Bush and played a key role in negotiating the landmark US-India civil nuclear deal, was taken into custody over the weekend, according to federal prosecutors.

Court filings claim that FBI agents recovered thousands of pages of classified and top-secret records during a search of Tellis’ residence. Investigators say he held a top-secret clearance during his work at the State Department and the Pentagon, granting him access to highly sensitive information.

Prosecutors claim Tellis entered State Department and Defense Department facilities and “printed on government computers, or asked a colleague to print, classified documents on topics including US military aircraft capabilities.”

Wider context

The FBI further accuses him of meeting Chinese officials on several occasions and handing them documents enclosed in an envelope, an allegation that could significantly heighten the case’s diplomatic sensitivity.

Tellis has denied the charges. In a statement, his legal team said, “Ashley J Tellis is a widely respected scholar and senior policy adviser. We will be vigorously contesting the allegations brought against him, specifically any insinuation of his operating on behalf of a foreign adversary.”

Tellis, a former US foreign service officer, is currently a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, where he has long been regarded as a leading expert on US-India relations.

News of his arrest sparked a political uproar in India, where Tellis, born and educated before moving to the United States, was a familiar voice on foreign policy debates. “The forces working against India are beginning to unravel in ways few could have imagined,” said Amit Malviya, head of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s IT cell, who had previously criticized Tellis’ writings on the government’s policies.

It is worth noting that US officials under President Donald Trump, including the director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, have pledged to pursue cases involving the mishandling of classified information. Lindsey Halligan, the US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said the allegations “represent a grave risk to the safety and security of our citizens.”