In a development that has sent ripples of shock and disbelief through Washington D.C.’s policy community, prominent foreign policy expert Ashley Tellis has been arrested by U.S. authorities. Tellis is accused of unlawfully holding classified national security documents and is reported to have met with Chinese officials multiple times over the past four years. He could potentially face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where Tellis holds the Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs, confirmed the news. Katelynn Vogt, vice president for communications at the Endowment, stated, “We are aware of the allegations against Ashley Tellis. He is now on administrative leave, including from his role as Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs.”
Colleagues expressed their astonishment at the news. One foreign policy analyst, speaking anonymously, shared, “When I first saw the news, I thought that it just couldn’t be right. When I told my bosses about it, some of whom know Tellis, they didn’t believe it either. It was only after I showed them an article that they believed it and they looked really disappointed.”
Tellis, born in India and educated in Mumbai before pursuing a PhD at the University of Chicago, has long been a respected figure in U.S.-India relations and a leading voice in Washington’s foreign policy circles. He established himself as an authority on U.S.-India relations, nuclear policy, and American grand strategy.
According to a filing with a district court in Eastern Virginia, law enforcement officials allege that Tellis accessed and removed top-secret defense documents from secure facilities. Over a thousand pages of classified documents, marked ‘TOP SECRET’ and ‘SECRET’, were reportedly found at his residence in Virginia. Tellis, who held a senior advisor role with the U.S. State Department and worked as a contractor for the U.S. War Department, had security clearance to access these sensitive files.
The Department of Justice filing detailed that Tellis had been under surveillance for some time. Records indicate that in September and October 2025, he was observed using his security clearance to access and remove classified national defense documents, including those pertaining to military aircraft capabilities.
Furthermore, the U.S. Justice Department has outlined five meetings Tellis had with Chinese officials. One filing described a meeting where Tellis reportedly entered a restaurant with a manila envelope, and departed without it after a two-hour dinner with Chinese officials. During these meetings, Tellis was reportedly overheard discussing U.S.-Pakistan relations and China’s engagement with Iran.
Tellis is perhaps best known as one of the principal architects of the U.S.-India nuclear deal. In the 2000s, he served as a key advisor to the Bush administration, playing a crucial role in advancing the deal alongside Indian diplomats. He was also widely rumored to be a candidate for U.S. Ambassador to India during the first Donald Trump administration.
Following his government service, Tellis continued to be a respected commentator with significant ties to strategic institutions in both Washington and New Delhi. Notably, S Jaishankar released a book co-edited by Tellis in 2022, titled “Grasping Greatness: Making India A Leading Power.”
The news of Tellis’s arrest has caused considerable unease within the policy community. “To say that this news is a shock to the community is an understatement, and the effects and anxieties amongst the tight-knit India policy community will ripple out,” commented another scholar.
Social media has been abuzz with disbelief from those who know Tellis. Mohammed Soliman of the Middle East Institute in Washington described the situation as “Shocking for me and the entire DC foreign policy community.” Christopher Clary, an associate professor at the University of Albany, shared on X, “I first met Ashley Tellis in 2002 and he has been unfailingly polite and thoughtful in countless interactions since that time, even when we have disagreed on substantive matters. I wish him fairness and compassion as the legal process unfolds.”
Tellis’s recent writings have also drawn attention. His 2023 essay in Foreign Affairs, ‘America’s Bad Bet on India,’ presented a more cautious outlook on the future of the India-U.S. partnership, highlighting India’s pursuit of strategic autonomy and multipolarity as potential constraints on the alliance. He also raised questions about optimistic assessments of India’s growth, citing economic slowdowns and social tensions.