A veteran CIA officer arrested over the alleged hoarding of millions of dollars worth of gold bars has reportedly been linked to Stephen A. Feinberg, a senior Pentagon official in President Donald Trump’s administration.
According to reports by NBC News and The New York Times, David Rush previously worked with Feinberg, a billionaire businessman who currently serves as Deputy Secretary of Defense. Rush spent 17 years at the Central Intelligence Agency and held a senior position within the agency’s Directorate of Science and Technology.
Reports suggest that Rush and Feinberg may have first crossed paths during Trump’s first term, when both were associated with the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board. Feinberg served as chairman of the board, which advises the White House and intelligence agencies on intelligence-gathering and national security matters. However, The New York Times reported that some officials said the two men were not considered close associates.
Rush was arrested earlier this month after the Federal Bureau of Investigation allegedly discovered more than $40 million worth of gold bars during a search of his Virginia home. Federal authorities also claim they seized approximately $2 million in cash and several luxury watches, including Rolex timepieces.
According to court documents cited in media reports, Rush has maintained that the gold bars were connected to official work-related expenses. The documents state that he requested and received large quantities of foreign currency and tens of millions of dollars worth of gold bars for authorized government purposes.
Investigators reportedly began examining the matter after the CIA was unable to account for the whereabouts of the gold and cash, prompting a search of Rush’s residence.
The case remains under investigation, and the allegations against Rush have not been tested in court.
