US State Department employee accused of removing classified documents, meeting Chinese officials

Washington [US], October 15 : A US State Department employee has been accused of unlawfully removing classified documents from secure government locations and holding multiple meetings with Chinese officials dating back to 2023, Fox News reported.

According to the Justice Department, Ashley Tellis served as an unpaid senior adviser to the State Department and was also a contractor with the Office of Net Assessment at the Department of Defense, recently renamed the Department of War.

In his role at the Office of Net Assessment, he was considered a subject-matter expert on India and South Asian affairs.

Court documents state that Tellis began working for the State Department in 2001. He has been accused of unlawful retention of national defense information, according to an affidavit filed in court.

Federal prosecutors said that Tellis held a top-secret clearance and had access to sensitive information. He was also employed as a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Fox News reported.

During a search of his residence in Vienna, Virginia, authorities recovered more than a thousand pages of documents marked "TOP SECRET" and "SECRET," as per court filings.

On September 12, Tellis allegedly asked a coworker at a government facility to print multiple classified documents for him.

Later, on September 25, he is said to have printed US Air Force documents related to military aircraft capabilities, according to prosecutors.

Federal officials further alleged that Tellis met with Chinese government representatives several times over the past few years.

In one such instance in September 2022, he reportedly met Chinese officials at a restaurant in Virginia while holding a manila envelope, prosecutors said.

During another meeting on April 11, 2023, Tellis and the Chinese officials were heard discussing Iranian-Chinese relations and emerging technologies over dinner, authorities added.

Court documents also noted that Tellis received a gift bag during a dinner meeting with Chinese officials on September 2.

Fox News reported that the Justice Department continues to investigate the case, with federal prosecutors highlighting the sensitive nature of the documents recovered from Tellis's home.

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