- Tellis was arrested by the FBI for unlawful retention of classified information and meeting Chinese officials
- He has been sent on administrative leave by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Tellis is considered one of Washington's leading authorities on South Asian security and US-India relations
Indian-origin foreign policy scholar and defence strategist Ashley J Tellis, considered one of Washington's leading authorities on South Asian security and US-India relations, has been sent on leave by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace after being arrested by the FBI for unlawfully retaining classified information and allegedly meeting Chinese officials.
"We are aware of the allegations against Ashley J Tellis. He is now on administrative leave, including from his role as Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs," Katelynn Vogt, vice president (communications) of the US-based think tank, told NDTV on Wednesday.
The FBI told a court that the scholar is an unpaid adviser to the US State Department and a Pentagon contractor.
"Tellis, 64, of Vienna, VA, was arrested over the weekend in Vienna, Virginia, and charged by criminal complaint with the unlawful retention of national defence information," the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia said in a statement on Tuesday.
"The charges as alleged in this case represent a grave risk to the safety and security of our citizens," US Attorney Lindsey Halligan said. She added that the office remained "fully focused on protecting the American people from all threats, foreign and domestic".
Tellis, who was arrested on Saturday, faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
According to an FBI affidavit, in September as well as this month, Tellis was seen entering the Defence and State Department buildings. He was observed printing classified documents, including some concerning military aircraft, and leaving with a leather bag in a car.
The affidavit stated Tellis met with People's Republic of China government officials multiple times at a restaurant. At one such meeting last month, Tellis entered with a manila envelope but did not have it with him when he left, and on two occasions, the Chinese officials presented him with a gift bag.
The strategist, a naturalised US citizen who is originally from India, served in senior positions under former President George W Bush. He helped negotiate the landmark civil nuclear deal with India.
