A sensational tabloid claim alleging that a CIA agent branded foreign policy scholar Ashley J. Tellis either 'a naive fool' or 'a spy for China' has ignited controversy, despite no reputable outlet or federal agency verifying the accusation.
Tellis, 64, was arrested in October 2025 and charged with unlawfully retaining classified national defence material, but prosecutors have not accused him of espionage, nor suggested he acted on behalf of a foreign state.
