Ex-CIA Official David J. Rush to Plead Guilty in $40 Million Gold Bar Case
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Oct 6
Ex-CIA Official David J. Rush to Plead Guilty in $40 Million Gold Bar Case
1 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Oct 6
Summary
David J. Rush is scheduled to enter a guilty plea Tuesday in Alexandria, months after his arrest on a federal charge of theft of public money.
FBI agents say they found 303 gold bars worth about $40 million at Rush’s Virginia home, along with $2 million in cash and 35 luxury watches.
Court records say Rush, a senior CIA technology executive with top-secret clearance, requested tens of millions of dollars in gold bars and foreign currency for work expenses from November 2025 to March 2026, but the assets could not be accounted for.
The case has also exposed alleged false claims about Rush’s education and military service, including degrees from Clemson and RPI that investigators say he never earned and $77,000 in military leave he allegedly collected fraudulently.
Those allegations have intensified scrutiny of CIA vetting after officials said such misrepresentations were missed during background checks, prompting parallel FBI and agency investigations.