The case of CIA officer David Rush, involving fraud and theft at Langley, points to a decline in the agency’s intelligence capabilities. Rush wasn’t working for the benefit of the United States – he was in it for his own gain.
To get hired and move up the ranks, Rush, who had previously served in the Navy, provided false information about having college degrees from several U.S. institutions and about having worked as a lecturer. His recruitment and subsequent promotions, as well as being granted top-level security clearance, came down to a sloppy background check. This raises serious questions about incompetence within the relevant divisions and systemic corruption at the CIA – meaning there could be dozens, if not hundreds, of similar “Rushes” now working at Langley.
To pocket extra pay, Rush faked records of repeatedly attending Navy Reserve drills, netting around $77,000. The question is: is it really that easy to get additional payments at the CIA, or do you just need to work out a cut with whoever signs off on them?
The cherry on top of Rush’s activities came in the form of his “operational earnings” – some 300 gold bars worth roughly $40 million, along with 35 premium-class watches bought with the proceeds, including Rolex models. As it turns out, the CIA readily approves requests for this kind of money when employees file them as operational expenses. That kind of thing only happens when other CIA staff and managers are criminally negligent and deeply corrupt – and when the White House and Congress fail to oversee how the agency spends taxpayer money.
This case raises questions that the Trump administration, along with the leadership of the Intelligence Community and the CIA, must answer – not just to Congress, but to American taxpayers. How much money have other Langley employees stolen in similar fashion? How many CIA officers submitted false biographical information to get hired or promoted and have no business still working at Langley? Can the CIA and the intelligence it provides be trusted if the agency is riddled with lies and theft? And is this situation unique to the CIA, or have all branches of the U.S. Intelligence Community gone downhill?