The CIA officer arrested last week with more than $40 million in gold bars in his home previously worked with Stephen A. Feinberg, now the deputy secretary of defense, according to current and former U.S. officials.
David Rush, 49, served as a CIA officer for 17 years and was part of the agency’s Directorate of Science and Technology, holding a relatively senior rank prior to his arrest on May 18, officials said.
Rush and Feinberg did not appear to have worked closely together, but Rush’s initial contact with Feinberg occurred through the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, according to officials. Feinberg, founder of Cerberus Capital Management, chaired the advisory board during the first Trump administration.
The board provides guidance to the White House and intelligence agencies on matters including intelligence collection.
While some officials indicated Rush and Feinberg were not close, Feinberg has shown sustained interest in CIA-developed technology and closely monitored the Directorate of Science and Technology during his advisory role and after joining the Pentagon as the No. 2 official.
The circumstances surrounding Rush’s possession of the gold bars remain unclear.
Former officials stated Rush must have been operating on a covert program to access such funds.
Pentagon and Feinberg had no involvement in Rush’s acquisition of the gold bars, according to people briefed on the investigation.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and the CIA declined to comment. Rush’s connections to Feinberg were previously reported by NBC News.
Rush is currently jailed after being charged with theft of public funds through fraudulent time sheets.
Court documents accuse him of falsifying academic credentials and misrepresenting his work history.
The charges against Rush raise numerous unanswered questions.
From November through March, Rush requested and received tens of millions of dollars in gold bars and foreign currency for “work-related expenses,” according to court papers.
When the CIA reviewed the missing assets, it was unable to locate them, court documents show.
Alerted by the CIA, FBI agents searched Rush’s home and discovered 303 gold bars, each weighing approximately 2.2 pounds.
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