A former CIA officer accused of embezzling more than $40 million in gold bullion misused a top-secret intelligence system designed to protect some of the most sensitive operations in the United States, according to a New York Times report.David Rush was a former CIA official with a high-level security clearance who was accused of creating a fake “Special Access Program” and using it to obtain vast amounts of government-owned gold bullion and foreign currency under the guise of official expenditures.Between November 2025 and March of this year, Rush requested tens of millions of dollars in gold bullion and large amounts of foreign currency, claiming it was needed to cover “business-related expenses.”
Instead the assets were transferred for his personal use.According to The New York Times, the fake software was presented as being related to “continuity of government operations,” a term generally used for plans that allow the government to continue operating during national emergencies, attacks, or major disasters.Special access programs are usually reserved for highly sensitive intelligence projects and are subject to strict confidentiality rules.
Sources familiar with the investigation told the New York Times that Rush used the program’s secrecy to conceal the movement of government assets and avoid scrutiny.He even included two of his colleagues in the program and asked them not to discuss the matter with others. One of them was persuaded to transfer large amounts of gold to the program through a fraudulent government contract.The scheme was uncovered after an internal CIA investigation found possible misconduct and referred the case to the FBI.“After an internal CIA investigation identified potential violations of the law, CIA Director John Ratcliffe referred the information to the FBI for a law enforcement investigation,” the CIA and FBI said in a joint statement.When FBI agents searched Rush’s home in Auburn, Virginia, on May 18, they discovered a cache of valuables.Agents recovered approximately 303 one-kilogram gold bars valued at more than $40 million, approximately $2 million in cash and 35 luxury watches including Rolex watches.
Rush was accused of stealing public funds in a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Virginia.The accusations against him extend beyond the gold bullion scheme. Rush spent years constructing a false professional identity that helped him obtain increasingly senior government positions. He falsely claimed to have academic credentials and included these credentials when applying for federal jobs and security clearances.Rush submitted false records to the US Navy when he joined the service in 1997, claiming to have a college degree. The lie helped him earn a commission as an officer in the US Navy Reserve in 2004 before he was discharged in 2015.During a recent court hearing, prosecutors described Rush as a “master manipulator” and alleged that he also pretended to be a doctor.
