CIA officer pleads guilty in gold bars case, admits he exposed intel source to foreign official

A former CIA officer admitted in a plea deal Tuesday that he disclosed details about a secret U.S. intelligence source to a foreign official and embezzled nearly $200 million from the federal government.David Rush pleaded guilty in Virginia federal court to one count of wire fraud after an FBI raid on his home in May uncovered 298 gold bars worth $46 million, $2.1 million in cash and dozens of luxury items. 
Justice Department officials said Rush embezzled $194 million from the federal government, using his position at the intelligence agency to create an elaborate scheme designed to facilitate his “maximum self-enrichment at the expense of the United States.”
“Federal employees are entrusted with serving the American people, not themselves,” Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement to Fox News. “The Trump Administration is committed to rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government, including by prosecuting those who foolishly defraud American taxpayers.”
Rush admitted in a plea document that he disclosed “certain descriptive information of a U.S. government clandestine human source” last year that could “endanger the safety and life of the human source and the U.S. government officers working with the source,” according to NBC News. 
He also admitted his actions jeopardized America’s “ability to recruit human sources, who rely on the U.S. government’s assurance of absolute secrecy.”
It was not clear what country the foreign official was from.
Investigators additionally revealed that Rush lied about details regarding his education and military service record. His alleged lies helped him rise to become a top officer at the CIA’s Directorate of Science and Technology, where he had access to some of the nation’s most secret programs. He also worked as a liaison to the Pentagon for sensitive military programs.
“Rush abused his position and betrayed the public trust and should be held fully accountable for his actions,” CIA Director John Ratcliffe said. “Following an internal investigation that identified potential crimes, CIA immediately referred this matter to the FBI.”
A judge has approved the plea deal and Rush now faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced next year.
Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.

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