&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Indian-origin US scholar Ashley Tellis denies charges of mishandling top-secret docs, Chinese links, vows to fight back")
Ashley J. Tellis, a prominent American scholar of India and former US government advisor, has denied federal charges accusing him of improperly handling classified material and meeting with Chinese officials. His lawyers said Wednesday (Oct 15) that Tellis will “vigorously contest” the allegations, which could carry a prison sentence of up to 10 years if proven.
The case of top-secret documents
The 64-year-old Indian origin scholar was arrested on Saturday (Oct 11) after an FBI investigation found more than 1,000 pages of top-secret and secret documents at his home, according to a criminal affidavit made public this week. Prosecutors also allege that he entered the State Department late at night on September 25 and printed from a classified document detailing US Air Force techniques.
The affidavit also claimed Tellis met several times with Chinese officials at a restaurant in Fairfax, Virginia, and once appeared to leave behind a manila envelope. However, the Justice Department said the formal charges relate specifically to mishandling classified documents, not espionage or acting as a foreign agent.
Tellis denies charges
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"Ashley J. Tellis is a widely respected scholar and senior policy advisor," his attorneys, Deborah Curtis and John Nassikas, said in a joint statement. "We will be vigorously contesting the allegations brought against him, specifically any insinuation of his operating on behalf of a foreign adversary."
Tellis, a naturalised American originally from India, served in senior roles during the George W. Bush administration and was closely involved in negotiating the landmark US-India civil nuclear cooperation deal. He later became a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, one of Washington’s leading think tanks, which announced Wednesday that Tellis has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the case.
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In recent years, Tellis has stood out in Washington’s policy circles for his candid takes on India’s strategic autonomy, often warning that New Delhi’s positions on issues like the war in Ukraine do not fully align with US interests.
