CIA watchdog probes how officer with $40M in gold passed agency checks

WASHINGTON, DC: The intelligence community’s inspector general is investigating how former CIA officer David Rush allegedly misrepresented his background and still passed the agency’s vetting process.

The inquiry is examining the CIA’s background checks and the extent of Rush’s alleged misconduct, after investigators found millions of dollars in assets at his home.

Rush spent 17 years at the agency before leaving shortly ahead of his May arrest, according to a report by NBC News published on Saturday, September 26.

CIA watchdog examines David Rush's background checks

The investigation is reviewing the CIA’s checks when Rush applied for the agency, including how his alleged false claims about his education and military service went undetected, the report cited.

Rush allegedly lied about obtaining university degrees and serving as a Navy pilot, according to an FBI affidavit described in the report. 

He also falsely claimed to be a member of the Navy Reserve to obtain military leave pay.

Larry Pfeiffer, a former chief of staff to the CIA director, said the failure to identify the alleged deception during the background investigation created a security risk.

“My view is that the original sin in all of this was the fact that he lied, and it did not come up in his background investigation,” Pfeiffer said, as per the outlet.

Rush served as the CIA’s point of contact for highly sensitive Defense Department programs, the outlet reported. 

The watchdog is also examining the extent of his alleged misconduct.

Investigators found gold bars and cash at his home

The investigation follows the discovery of 303 gold bars, $2 million in cash and luxury watches at Rush’s home in Northern Virginia.

According to NBC News, the gold, cash and watches were CIA assets that Rush requested for classified work. 

He allegedly fabricated a secret program to obtain the assets for personal gain.

The broader allegations are separate from the criminal charge currently facing Rush, which concerns submitting fraudulent timesheets.

An FBI affidavit cited in the report said Rush made several requests between November 2025 and March for “a significant quantity of foreign currency and tens of millions of dollars in gold bars for work-related expenses.”

The affidavit did not provide further details about why Rush needed the assets. 

The gold and most of the cash were later found missing from a storage space at his workplace, prompting a search of his home.

David Rush reaches preliminary plea agreement with prosecutors

Rush was arrested May 19 and charged with theft of government money, according to the report. 

He is currently detained in Alexandria, Virginia.

On September 11, Rush and federal prosecutors said they had reached a “plea agreement in principle.” 

The terms of the proposed agreement have not been disclosed.

A completed deal could limit what becomes public about Rush’s activities, according to the report.

The Office of the inspector general declined to confirm or deny the inquiry when asked about it, saying it could “neither confirm nor deny the existence of any specific investigation or inquiry,” the outlet report said.