Ex-CIA officer admits $200m fraud and passing secrets to foreign government

David Rush, 49, a former CIA officer, admitted defrauding the US government in a $200m (£151m) scheme involving fake contracts and real estate, according to the BBC. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud, having initially been charged with theft of public funds. Prosecutors stated in a court filing: 'The defendant will plead guilty because the defendant is in fact guilty of the charged offense.' The BBC said Rush's lawyer declined to comment.

Court filings say Rush fabricated a highly classified program to justify acquiring luxury real estate in South Florida, which he intended to resell for personal profit. According to the filing, he 'effectively acted as his own approving official', letting him spend US government money without meaningful scrutiny. The filing states the scam included hiring an interior designer and buying $40,000 of kitchen appliances for one property.

FBI investigators said that between November 2025 and March 2026, Rush repeatedly requested 'a significant quantity of foreign currency and tens of millions of dollars in gold bars for work-related expenses'. A raid on his home in May uncovered 298 gold bars, $2m in cash and 35 luxury watches, the BBC reported. Prosecutors said there was 'strong evidence' he was moving funds into easily traded commodities to hide the money.

Rush also admitted providing secrets to a foreign government, the BBC reported. Prosecutors said he revealed a 'clandestine human source' to a foreign official and provided top secret data to 'a foreign government official who was not authorised to receive it and had no need to know it'. They said the disclosure could endanger the source and the US government officers working with them. CIA Director John Ratcliffe said Rush 'abused his position and betrayed the public trust and should be held fully accountable for his actions'.

The wire fraud charge was related to a $45m transfer Rush initiated in January 2026, according to the BBC. Under the plea deal, he must pay restitution and forfeit luxury real estate, two BMW vehicles, his watches, $2m in cash and nearly $39m seized from his bank account. A federal judge will set his sentence at a later date; a hearing is scheduled for 28 January. The charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.