Ex-CIA official accused of stealing $40m in gold bars reportedly created fake spy program

Article excerpt

David Rush, a 17-year CIA veteran arrested in May, allegedly created a fake intelligence operation to launder more than $40 million in stolen gold bars from the agency, according to the Washington Post. The scheme involved exploiting what officials call a "special access program", a classified funding mechanism typically used for legitimate covert operations, to divert government money into his own accounts. Rush's arrest marks the latest in a series of fraud revelations that expose vulnerabilities in how the CIA manages and monitors its most secretive financial operations and personnel.