CIA officer busted with gold bars has ties to Trump’s Deputy Defense Secretary

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.

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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 role within the agency’s Directorate of Science and Technology.

Reports indicate that Rush and Feinberg may have first crossed paths during Trump’s first term in office 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 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 raid on 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 reports, Rush has argued that the gold bars were connected to work-related expenses. The documents state that he requested and received large quantities of foreign currency and tens of millions of dollars in gold bars for official purposes.

Investigators reportedly began examining the matter after the CIA was unable to account for the location of the gold and cash, leading to the search of Rush’s residence. The case remains under investigation, and the allegations against Rush have yet to be tested in court.