An India-born senior adviser on the US State Division, Ashley Tellis, has been arrested and charged with unlawfully retaining categorized protection info. The case was filed in a federal court docket in Virginia on October 13.
In line with court docket paperwork reviewed by Hindustan Occasions, investigators allege that Tellis was in possession of delicate nationwide protection information that he was not authorised to maintain. The affidavit additional claims that he held a number of undisclosed conferences with officers linked to the Chinese language authorities, elevating critical safety issues.
Who Is Ahsley Tellis?
Ashley J. Tellis, 64, was born in India and went on to turn out to be probably the most influential strategic voices within the US State Division. He has served as an adviser since 2001 and has labored intently with a number of administrations in Washington.
Through the George W. Bush presidency, Tellis performed a pivotal position in negotiating the landmark 2008 US-India civil nuclear settlement a deal that reshaped bilateral ties and marked a serious shift in diplomatic relations between the 2 nations. He later continued to serve in senior roles underneath President Donald Trump, cementing his place as a key determine in shaping US coverage on India.
The civil nuclear deal continues to be considered a defining second that introduced the world’s two largest democracies into a better strategic partnership.
Inside The Case Towards Ashley Tellis
The affidavit filed in a Virginia court docket in opposition to Ashley Tellis lists a number of prices, together with the illegal retention of nationwide protection info, a critical federal offense. Investigators allege that Tellis held a number of conferences with Chinese language authorities officers at eating places in Fairfax, Virginia, between September 2022 and September 2025.
One incident, dated September 15, 2022, mentions that Tellis walked right into a restaurant carrying a manila envelope, which was not with him when he left. In line with the doc, he was overheard discussing delicate subjects, together with US-Pakistan relations and ties between Iran and China. He was additionally seen receiving a purple reward bag from the visiting officers.
Describing the matter as extraordinarily critical, Lindsey Halligan, the US lawyer for the Jap District of Virginia, mentioned the allegations pose “a grave danger to the protection and safety of our residents,” as reported by AFP.
If convicted, Tellis faces as much as 10 years in jail and a possible high quality of $250,000 underneath US federal regulation.