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Ashley J. Tellis, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a longtime U.S. government advisor on South Asia, was released Oct. 21 on a personal recognizance bond after being charged with the unlawful retention of classified national defence information.

The 64-year-old Indian American scholar, who has held senior roles at the State Department, the Department of Defence, and the White House under President George W. Bush, was arrested on October 11 following an FBI investigation that recovered more than 1,000 pages of documents marked Secret and Top Secret from his Vienna, Virginia, home.

Tellis appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lindsey Robinson Vaala in the Eastern District of Virginia, who granted his release under stringent conditions, including the surrender of his passport, travel restrictions within the Washington metropolitan area, and supervision by pretrial services.

His wife, Dhun Tellis, co-signed the $1.5 million secured bond, which was backed by the family’s home.

DOJ’s Allegations

In a statement, the Justice Department said Tellis “removed over a thousand pages of classified national defence information from government facilities and stored them in his home.” Prosecutors allege that Tellis, who held Top Secret clearance with Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access, printed, altered, and concealed classified materials from secure systems at both the State Department and the Pentagon’s Office of Net Assessment.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Sue J. Bai called the case “a serious breach of trust,” adding, “Safeguarding our country’s national defence information is a top priority.” FBI officials described the arrest as “a stark warning to anyone thinking about undermining national security,” saying investigators executed a court-authorized search warrant to prevent “highly classified defence information from falling into the wrong hands”.

Also Read: Arrested U.S.-India expert retained 1000 pages of classified information: DOJ

Defence: Routine Scholarship Misread as Espionage

Tellis’s attorneys, John Nassikas and Deborah Curtis of Arnold & Porter, rejected the government’s insinuations. In a 14-page memorandum, they argued that investigators “misinterpreted routine professional duties, such as liaison work and international travel, as clandestine activity.” The defence emphasized that Tellis’s interactions with foreign diplomats, including Chinese officials, were “lawful and expected” for his role as a foreign policy expert.

They also dismissed claims surrounding a “red gift bag” exchanged with a Chinese contact—an item the FBI initially flagged during its search—as “a small gift of tea,” common in diplomatic and academic settings. “To read something sinister into that gesture is unfounded,” the filing stated.

Tellis, they wrote, “is a 64-year-old U.S. citizen and PhD with deep family, professional, and community ties” and “poses no flight risk.” The memorandum highlighted his decades-long record of public service, including his role in shaping the U.S.-India civil nuclear agreement and advising multiple administrations on defence and strategy.

Court Proceedings

At his initial appearance on October 14 before Magistrate Judge John F. Anderson, prosecutors sought detention, but the government later agreed to conditional release pending further hearings. On Tuesday, Tellis formally waived his right to a preliminary hearing, and Judge Vaala approved his bond and release order, requiring continued cooperation with the investigation and pretrial supervision.

The case has been continued to December 10, 2025, after Judge Leonie Brinkema granted a joint motion to extend the indictment deadline, citing “the ends of justice” under the Speedy Trial Act.

Background and Context

Tellis, born in India, has been among Washington’s most influential voices on Asian security strategy. Over the course of four decades, he has authored more than 20 books and served as a bridge between academia and U.S. policymaking. His recent book, Striking Asymmetries: Nuclear Transitions in Southern Asia, explored nuclear competition among China, India, and Pakistan.

Legal Outlook

Tellis faces a potential charge under 18 U.S.C. § 793(e), part of the Espionage Act, which criminalises the unauthorised retention of national defence information. No allegation of dissemination or transmission has been made, and the defence underscored that “pretrial detention in such retention cases is extremely uncommon.”

A Justice Department spokesperson reiterated that a criminal complaint is “merely an allegation” and that Tellis “is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”