Ex-CIA official pleads guilty to using position and government funds to enrich himself

David J Rush used his job at spy agency to acquire Florida real estate and gold bars worth tens of millions of dollars

A former senior CIA official pleaded guilty on Tuesday in Virginia to a charge that he abused his position and government funds to enrich himself by acquiring Florida real estate and hundreds of gold bars worth tens of millions of dollars, according to court records.

David J Rush fabricated a “highly classified” government program to justify the acquisition of luxury property in south Florida that he intended to resell for personal profit, according to a court filing. Rush separately concocted a bogus “sensitive government activity” to obtain the gold bars, the filing also says.