A former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer arrested with more than $40 million in gold bars at his Virginia home once worked with Pentagon official Stephen Feinberg, officials say.
David Rush, 49, spent 17 years at the CIA and held a senior role in its Directorate of Science and Technology. He was arrested in mid May after agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) searched his home in Ashburn, Virginia, on 18 May. According to court filings, they seized about 303 one kilogram gold bars valued at more than $40 million, roughly $2 million in cash and about 35 luxury watches, many of them Rolexes. Rush was charged with theft of public money.
The case began after a CIA internal review flagged potential violations and Director John Ratcliffe referred the matter to the FBI. Investigators say the agency could not locate the gold and cash, which led them to search Rush’s residence.
Rush has said the gold was obtained for expenses related to his work, and court records state that he requested and received large amounts of foreign currency and gold for official purposes. He is also accused of lying about his education and military background over many years. The allegations have not been tested in court, and a detention hearing is scheduled for 5 June. In a joint statement, the CIA and FBI said they would pursue “justice in accordance with the law.”
The connection to Feinberg, founder of Cerberus Capital Management and now Deputy Secretary of Defense, was reported by NBC News and The New York Times. The two men appear to have first had contact through the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, which Feinberg chaired during President Donald Trump’s first term and which advises the White House and intelligence agencies on collection matters.
Officials cautioned that Rush and Feinberg were not close associates. People briefed on the investigation said Feinberg and the Pentagon had no involvement in whatever Rush was doing that led to his obtaining the gold. The Pentagon did not immediately comment, and the CIA declined to comment. The investigation continues.
