David Rush, a former C.I.A. officer, was arrested recently after $40 million in gold bars were discovered at his home. Rush, 49, had worked with the agency’s Directorate of Science and Technology and held a senior rank before his arrest.
Although Rush had contact with Stephen A. Feinberg, the deputy secretary of defense, during President Trump’s first term, they were reportedly not close. Feinberg was once the chair of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board and had an interest in C.I.A. technology development.
The advisory board provides intelligence advice to the White House and other agencies. Despite their contact, officials state that Feinberg and the Pentagon had no involvement in Rush’s possession of the gold bars.
Former officials speculate that Rush had to be involved in a covert program to obtain such wealth. The Pentagon did not offer a comment on these events, and the C.I.A. also declined to comment. NBC News previously reported Rush’s connection to Feinberg.
Rush is held in jail, facing charges of stealing public money through fraudulent time sheets. The government claims Rush inflated his academic credentials and lied about his work history. The legal proceedings have left many questions unanswered.
From November to March, Rush allegedly requested and received millions in gold bars and foreign currency for what he described as work-related expenses. A C.I.A. review revealed the agency could not locate the gold and currency.
As alerted by the C.I.A., the F.B.I. searched Rush’s home and found 303 gold bars, each weighing around 2.2 pounds.
Julian E. Barnes, covering U.S. intelligence, and Mark Mazzetti, an investigative reporter based in Washington, contribute to reports on national security.