Washington DC: Ashley J Tellis, a renowned Indian-American foreign policy expert and long-time adviser to the US State Department, was granted pre-trial bail by a US court. Tellis was arrested on October 11 on charges of unlawfully retaining classified national defence information and allegedly meeting with Chinese officials.
He will still be in home detention. On October 21, Tellis appeared before Judge Lindsey Robinson Vaala in the court. He was released on several conditions. Tellis' passport has been surrendered and travel restrictions have also been imposed on him. His wife reportedly co-signed a $1.5 million bond backed by the family home for his pre-trial release.
The 64-year-old strategist, considered one of the foremost authorities on India-US relations, was taken into custody following a federal investigation, according to court filings in Virginia.
In a memorandum penned by Tellis’ team, which supported his pretrial release, it stated that the 64-year-old PhD is “far from being a danger of flight risk," reported The Financial Express. Tellis' team also stated that there was no evidence that he had disclosed classified information to a foreign government.
A criminal complaint filed on October 13 in the Eastern District of Virginia accused Tellis of violating federal laws related to the unlawful possession and retention of national defence materials. It was alleged that Tellis met multiple times with Chinese government officials between 2022 and 2025 and discussed sensitive geopolitical topics, including Iran-China and US-Pakistan relations.
According to the affidavit, during one such meeting on September 15, 2022, in Fairfax, Virginia, Tellis was seen entering a restaurant with a manila envelope that did not appear in his possession when he left. In another meeting in September 2025, he reportedly received a red gift bag from Chinese representatives.
Born in India, Ashley Tellis has spent over two decades in Washington’s policy circles. Since joining the State Department in 2001, he has served under multiple US administrations, including US Presidents George W Bush and Donald Trump.
