WASHINGTON: A prominent United States-India relations expert and government adviser arrested over handling classified documents will vigorously contest the allegations.
His lawyers specifically stated he would challenge any insinuation that he operated on behalf of a foreign adversary.
Ashley Tellis served on the National Security Council of former President George W Bush and worked as an unpaid State Department adviser and Pentagon contractor.
The FBI arrested Tellis and charged him with unlawful retention of national defence information.
An FBI affidavit said Tellis was observed accessing and printing classified documents about military aircraft capabilities in Pentagon and State Department buildings.
A search of his Virginia residence uncovered more than one thousand pages of classified documents with top secret and secret markings.
The affidavit also noted Tellis had met Chinese government officials on multiple occasions.
His attorneys Deborah Curtis and John Nassikas described Tellis as a widely respected scholar and senior policy advisor.
They confirmed they would vigorously contest the allegations in court hearings and related filings.
Tellis is currently on administrative leave from his position at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
The case has been brought by US attorney Lindsey Halligan, who was formerly President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer.
Halligan’s prosecutions have sparked concern among some former federal prosecutors about targeting political foes.
The Justice Department says Tellis faces up to 10 years in prison and a 250,000 dollar fine if convicted. – Reuters
