A now-former high-level CIA official accused of stealing a whopping $40 million in gold bars from the U.S. government has been linked to President Donald Trump’s billionaire deputy defense secretary.
FBI agents last week seized 303 gold bars from the Ashburn, Virginia, home of former CIA official David Rush, according to court documents.
Rush, who claimed the gold was for “work-related expenses,” was arrested and charged with theft of public money. Agents also discovered $2 million in U.S. cash and 35 luxury watches, investigators reported.
Rush, 49, is also accused of forging his educational and military credentials. He worked for the CIA for 17 years, and held a senior role in the agency’s Directorate of Science and Technology, which utilizes cutting-edge technology in intelligence investigations.
Rush had a years-long professional relationship with the current Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg, the billionaire Trump backer who founded private equity behemoth Cerberus Capital Management, sources told NBC News.
Feinberg has long been interested in the intelligence community. He was chairman of Trump’s influential Intelligence Advisory Board, beginning in 2018, during the president’s first term, and helped support Rush’s career over the years, according to NBC’s sources.
The men first met when Feinberg headed the board, which provides advice to the White House and spy agencies on intelligence collection, The New York Times reported.
Rush is currently in custody and will remain so until at least next week, when a court hearing is scheduled on charges that he filed fraudulent time sheets by falsely claiming he was a member of the Navy Reserve, according to court documents. An ongoing investigation is expected to produce more serious charges.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House, the U.S. Defense Department, and Feinberg for comment.
A joint statement by the CIA and FBI three days ago said CIA Director John Ratcliffe had referred Rush’s “potential violations” to the FBI for investigation, which resulted in his arrest.
“We are committed to following the facts, ensuring accountability, and pursuing justice in accordance with the law,” the statement noted.
According to court documents, Rush asked for—and received—tens of millions of dollars in gold bars and foreign currency for “work-related expenses.” When the CIA conducted a review of where the assets were held, the agency was unable to locate them, according to the court papers, and a search was launched of Rush’s home.
