A former CIA official with a top-secret security clearance has been accused of stealing 303 gold bars worth more than $40m (£29.7m) and stashing them at his home.
Well, OK, crooks everywhere. Obviously.
Between November 2025 and March this year, Mr Rush allegedly made several requests to the US government to receive the bars, each weighing one kilogram, for “work-related expenses”, then kept them at his home.
So a spy can just say “I need a gold bar or three for work” then?
The New York Times reported that he was a former senior CIA executive, though it is not clear what role Mr Rush held while at the organisation.
The FBI also noted that Rush appeared to have lied to his employers for two years about his education and military background.
They say Mr Rush had falsely claimed to be a navy pilot and graduate of Clemson University in South Carolina and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York, according to The Associated Press.
Instead, he enlisted in the navy in 1997 and served in the US navy reserve from 2004 until 2015, when he was honourably discharged as a lieutenant. He also did not attend either college, the outlet discovered.
And, also, they don’t check CVs?
These are the spies on our side, right?
If he can fool the CIA then he’s got just what it takes to be a spy.
Setting the bar kinda low there…
Well… he certainly knew where the holes in the Bureaucracy were to be found…
Turning it around…. If I were a spai agency… Good way to start a Purge….
But he’s not really a ‘spy’… Just a rather inventive thief.
Dud he also claim for any exclusive golf club memberships ?
Did they find a steel rimmed bowler hat too at home ?
I once had an expenses claim reduced by 50p. Claiming for a newspaper wasn’t allowed.
Surprised DOGE missed that one.
Maybe they didn’t?
“graduate of Clemson University … and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute”
Quite subtle of him to choose universities that are mildly well known but not top tier. If he’d said Stanford and MIT he might have been suspected earlier.
I was wondering about that.
With Clemson at 75th in the rankings, and the other one around 100th, I’d have thought you could go a fair bit higher without making people too suspicious.
The other interesting question is whether it’s optimal to pick a big place or a smaller place? Go big and you’re more likely to meet someone who was there too, and so you might need to do a bit of research to hold a coherent 5 minute conversation about the “good old days”. Especially because your colleagues will often be a similar age to you so will have been there about the same time you claimed. Pick a smaller place – and the US has some tiny colleges with just a few hundred students – and you may never meet another alumnus. But if you do, then they’re probably more likely to want to talk about the coincidence… And worse, if you were supposedly there at the time, they’ll wonder why they can’t remember you.
Evy now and then I trawl through the Wiki list of notables from my university, and there’s never anybody who was there when I was – a handful of names I recognise from before I was there, and a handful from after. Since I left it seems to have become an SNP MSP training school.
Several people I was at uni with, and knew or at least met, found fame soon after graduating. A couple popped up in the public sphere some time later, some have since vanished into obscurity again and some might yet become PM. Someone I knew quite well and was trying to become a musician and poet has finally, decades after their band stopped playing the festival circuit and instead transitioned to a boring professional path, discovered a third career as a best-selling author. So I know these people are about.
But in my own professional career I’ve very rarely run into anyone who went there, even those people haven’t made a bunch of small talk about it, and not once have I encountered someone who was there at the same time as me. Given the even greater number of unis in the USA, I can see how this guy got away with it for as long as he did. (At least in terms of “how nobody noticed he didn’t really go there when his story fell apart” – I don’t understand why the CV wasn’t checked. I’ve had my CV thoroughly vetted for jobs where the degree was really quite irrelevant.)
I was at college with ‘Captain’ John Scarlett, he of the dodgy dossier, for production of which he was promoted to ‘
MC’. I remember him not at all, which I suppose is a sign of a good spook. I see him at reunions, but have never spoken to him, not wishing to sour the evening.“if you were supposedly there at the time, they’ll wonder why they can’t remember you.”
What, like Obama at Columbia, you mean?
It is reported that Clinton was at Oxford during some of the time I was there: I never even heard of him (it is quite likely that he heard of me but almost certainly forgot by the next day). So, my answer is “not necessarily).
I’ll have you pecksniffs understand that Clemson and RPI use the same textbooks as Stanford and MIT.
If the textbooks are good enough for MIT (the only top-grade university in the last ratings I saw), then they should be good enough for Clemson.
Not every university insists on only using textbooks written in-house (my first-year Algebra text-book was written for “gifted sophomores” at an US university.
Please read “US” between “only” and “university”.
Indeed, and a lot of unis don’t use textbooks at all for some courses – just have to refer to the lecture and seminar notes.
They’re not on our side.
Well, duh. It’s the CIA.
I heard somewhere or other that there are in the US something like 3,000,000 people with ‘top secret’ (an absurd designation) clearance.
I’m sure it’s residuals. Once you have the clearance, you usually have it forever. I.e., if your job changes such that you don’t need it anymore, you still keep it. It’s rarely revoked.
Isn’t that lack of revocation itself a sign of something a bit piss poor?
I have wondered that.
When I was responsible for IT security in an insurance company 30 years ago, all data was compartmentalised: only those working in accounts could view accounting data, only those in HR could view personnel data, etc. And if you moved from HR to some other department, your access rights were removed PDQ. Every line manager got a monthly printout (remember them? 🙂 ) of all their staff and had to sign off that their access rights were still necessary.
Security didn’t just apply to data and it applied decades earlier. When I was working out my notice I had to ask Keith G to authorise all my dealings even though everybody except HR knew that I *always* worked for the policyholders’ widows.
As a computer jock at a large corporate installation, I had privileged accounts on many computers. Effectively, I could look at anything I wanted to. As IT security manager, I did.
Years later, auditors were horrified. The bottom line was that SOMEBODY has to be able to see things, else they can’t be supported.
Problem with your account? I couldn’t fix it if I couldn’t see it.
No matter how far you drill down, you have to trust somebody.
Ironically, today I had to help a client format her son’s CV. She presented me with a template she liked, and I made her son’s document look like it.
Here’s the template. This is the Blob incarnate. Ticks all the boxes. He’s evidently Greek, but that seems to make him a “person of colour”. What an utter, utter cunt. At least I’ve done him the courtesy of not revealing his name.
SUMMARY
For as long as I can remember, I have always had an interest in television, particularly due to its ability to entertain and educate at the same time. This has been particularly integral to me as an LGBT+ person of colour, with broadcasting and media teaching me so much about my various communities and helping me find my own voice. My interest in broadcasting has propelled me head-first into the world of university radio, whilst completing an intensive degree that included learning, lecturing and researching at a professional level. However, I have now started applying my strong work ethic and creativity beyond the world of university radio. I am a very fast, and more importantly keen, learner, I am dynamic and thrive on social interaction and I am hoping to gain, and learn from, as much experience within the industry as possible. This has pushed me to pursue and complete two runner roles with the BBC and now a freelance researcher role with BBC Events. However, I am always looking to gain experience within a broad range of fields in TV. Beyond my research abilities, I believe that I have several other skills, garnered from past experience, that will really help me in this field.
EDUCATION
2021-2022 University of Bath
MSc Health Psychology
2018-2021 University of Bath
BSc Psychology, First Class
First class, placed in top ten dissertations
2013-2018 City of London School for Boys (Scholarship Student)
GCSE – 11A*s
A Level – Biology A*, Math A*, English Language A
WORK EXPERIENCE
2022-Present BBC Studios Events
Researcher for the Lord Mayor’s Show, BBC One
I am currently the lead researcher for the BBC’s live coverage of the Lord Mayor’s Show, which has been broadcast on the BBC since the 1930s.
· Writing notes on the history and importance of the Lord Mayor’s Show
· Interviewing and constructing profiles for each group parading, in order to cast interviewees for the live broadcast
· Actively contributing to discussions on VTs, presenters and approaches for the broadcast
· Writing commentary notes and working closely with commentator Gethin Jones
June 2022 The Platinum Jubilee BBC One
Talent Runner
· Worked alongside presenter AJ Odudu, ensuring that she had everything necessary to conduct her presenting duties
· Liaised with talent, ensuring that they were briefed on upcoming interviews
· Contributed to team discussions with suggestions on how to overcome logistical issues
March 2022 A Celebration for Commonwealth Day BBC One
Talent Runner
· Worked with presenter Sonali Shah and assisted the producer by liaising with talent, which included political figures, Olympic athletes and celebrities
· Worked on social media materials to promote the specific broadcast
· Coordinated with producers to ensure that talent got to interviews on time, as the broadcast was live and had a tight schedule
· Worked with talkback and liaised with the gallery
2018-2022 University Radio Bath
Podcaster and Radio DJ
For four years, I was part of the University Radio Bath team, as both a radio DJ and podcaster. During that time, I ran a pop-culture rundown podcast called Snap, Cackle & Pop.
· Interviewing famous faces, from Bath MP Wera Hobhouse to up-and-coming musician Niko B; creating a comfortable environment for interviewees, whilst still probing for insightful responses
· Researching the week’s most interesting and noteworthy news stories and, from that, creating concise, clear and entertaining content
· Audio editing, content promoting and using radio automation software
2021-2022 University of Bath Psychology Department Graduate Teaching Assistant
Last academic year I taught a class of twenty-five first-year students every week. I taught students about the current issues and debates within the field of psychology, alongside essential techniques such as essay-writing and presentation-skills.
· Researching psychological topics and presenting 2 hours of content weekly in an engaging yet clear way
· Leading a class of students and directing them on how to better their academic skills
· Grading academic work and providing feedback and supporting students with pastoral issues
May–Aug 2022 Centre for Trials Research, Cardiff University
Researcher
This year, I undertook a four-month placement investigating the acceptability and feasibility of offering HIV-testing, and other HIV services, in community pharmacies in Wales.
· Conducting in-depth interviews with community pharmacists across Wales
· Leading a research team of four Centre for Trials researchers
· Analysing pharmacists’ responses, writing up findings and creating recommendations for future services
· Presenting my research and answering queries within several different research group
ACHIEVEMENTS
2019 Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award
2018 LGBT+ Speaker
· Was invited to speak in Parliament about being an LGBT+ student in a post-Section 28 Britain, as a recognition for my work within the school’s LGBT+ society
2016 Mayor of Bermondsey Award
· Recognising my contributions to the Salmon Youth Centre, where I lead drama classes for underprivileged children
KEY ATTRIBUTES
Team-orientated
In 2016, I took a part-time job at a McDonald’s branch in central London. Working in such a high-pressure environment with people from all different backgrounds very quickly taught me the necessary skills to become a successful team worker.
Passionate about Equality
As an LGBT+ individual, I am always keen to give back to the community that has helped me so much. For example, during my time in Sixth Form I founded the school’s first LGBT+ society and organised meetings, trips, and speakers. Furthermore, as an Indian, I have always been aware of the importance of telling the stories of those within my community, and others, who have been denied a voice. This belief was central to my teaching philosophy at the Salmon Youth Centre, where, through drama, I taught children from underprivileged backgrounds how to use their voice clearly and let their stories be heard, both literally and metaphorically.
Experienced in Current Affairs
I have always kept abreast on a wide array of current affairs. In fact, a key objective of my podcast was to educate young people on some of the most pressing issues facing our world today, including the BLM movement and the ongoing stigmatisation of mental health. Furthermore, both my undergraduate and masters’ dissertations focus on HIV, requiring an in-depth knowledge of both the past and present stigmas and disparities surrounding HIV care. I believe that my combination of charisma and current affairs knowledge would allow me to create engaging content that covers important everyday issues.
ADDITIONAL SKILLS
TECHNICAL SKILLS
SPSS, qualitative analysis, Audacity, MS Office, publishing skills
LANGUAGES
English (native), French (fluent), Greek (advanced)
INTERESTS: Cultural immersion, Cooking, Learning languages, Activism
REFERENCES:
What a perfect example of gobshittery. I’d bin it straight away. Can you be LGBTQ+ ? Don’t you have to just fuckin pick one?
Quite. Entitled, sponging ponce.
.
https://dailysceptic.org/2026/05/29/the-great-ucas-fiction/
If I’d been a prospective employer of this person, I’d have given up on reading the CV after the first paragraph.
Of course, but that CV is perfectly designed for employment within the Blob. Give this creature 10 years and he’ll be as deeply burrowed into the BBC as a shipworm.
If he genuinely got a scholarship to City of London, he must be pretty clever , so why did he go to Bath?
My impression of City of London (from chess matches) was that they were swots so those gaining scholarships should have gone to Oxbridge
I thought is shouted “AI.”
I’ve been thinking about a remark I saw in a comments thread elsewhere. So, on reflection, if I had my time again: for positions of responsibility never hire anybody who wasn’t a Senior Sixer in the Wolf Cubs or who hasn’t skippered a rugby or cricket side. If relevant, demand a top class academic record in a non-silly subject. (And if irrelevant, don’t.)
One caveat: I once hired someone on nepotistic grounds. Great success! God knows what inference I should draw from that.
Nothing wrong with a bit of (justified) nepotism. It was presumably someone whom you knew well, and thought suitable for the role – after all, a failure would reflect badly on you. Family firms can do quite well on it, for a few generations, at least.
I got my big break from nepotism. But I had to do the job to succeed. Which I did.
Green hire to promotion over 20 year veterans in 9 months.
Sentence two is crucial. I could have got a job in the big company for which my father worked because he was brilliant (and worked hard) but I am not nearly as intelligent so I should have let everybody down when I was given tasks that someone like him could achieve but I (or even Chris) could not. So I went south
No Tim, they are not on our side. Have not been for longer than either of us has been alive. I am not sure the CIA was ever on our side.
Also, what is the point of stealing more than one bar (I can see one, just to see if you can) if you don’t have a plan to turn them into *money*?
CIA are strange birds. Hard to figure their motivation.
Proof: MKUltra.
Regardless of whether this guy was really just a thief, or its a case of some sort of secret operation thats gone wrong and he’s been left to carry the can for it, one has to wonder what sort of ‘democratic’ country has a secret service that just doles out gold bars to its operatives. The mere fact that the CIA has a system that allows its operatives to request to be paid in gold bars for ‘expenses’ suggests that this is an organisation that it ripe to be culled.
or a dreamer whose fabrications just got so out of hand that he just had to go on making them. Our Man in Havana?
I should hope he checked them out and didn’t just take them.
BUT . . .
My fabulous first wife was a bank branch manager. She said embezzlement was easy. TOO EASY. Perps got away with it so easily, the did it again. WHAM! A pattern, making them obvious. Easy to catch.
Dude might have gotten away with one bar. 303? Duh.