The CIA doesn't have a big enough broom for the Gold Bar Dave scandal episode artwork

EPISODE · May 31, 2026 · 13 MIN

The CIA doesn't have a big enough broom for the Gold Bar Dave scandal

from On the Fringe · host Dave and Gavin

(00:00:00) An introduction to 'Gold Bar Dave' (David Rush) (00:05:32) The craziest part and biggest miss of the investigation (00:08:25) Implications of the breach and why the FBI and IRS should leave no stone unturned In this episode, Dave and Gavin dive into a wild tale, and what may be the biggest publicly acknowledged counterintelligence failure in the 21st century for the U.S. Government that could lead to serious repercussions. Former officer David “Gold Bar Dave” Rush, who allegedly worked in the agency’s Science and Technology Directorate, was recently arrested after fabricating his time sheets, and likely worse—hoarding 300 kilograms of gold bars from the agency for several months.After his arrest, the FBI also discovered several million dollars in cash, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in luxury watches in his house. Moreover, it’s now been discovered that Rush had weaved an intricate web of lies that the agency and DoD (now the Department of War) had fallen for (or ignored) for over a decade, including lies about every credential he had for almost two decades. He had also joined the Senior Executive Service (SES) as one of the top civil servants in the U.S. Government.Here is the affidavit outlining Rush’s charges.If Rush’s charges are factually true and he is deemed to be guilty, these events point to critical missteps and tremendous failures that may lead to incredible damage to the United States once (if) the full story ever comes out, and, it should be a serious wakeup call for the U.S. intelligence community about how they vet officers working with some of the most sensitive information, in some of the most sensitive positions in the country. This is our take. Are we right on the money, or off by a long shot? If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to like, comment, share, and subscribe--and leave us a star rating :)  If you'd like to join us on the show, reach out at [email protected] sincerely appreciate your listenership, feedback, and our growing On the Fringe Community. All the best from both of us, Dave and Gav

(00:00:00) An introduction to 'Gold Bar Dave' (David Rush) (00:05:32) The craziest part and biggest miss of the investigation (00:08:25) Implications of the breach and why the FBI and IRS should leave no stone unturned In this episode, Dave and Gavin dive into a wild tale, and what may be the biggest publicly acknowledged counterintelligence failure in the 21st century for the U.S. Government that could lead to serious repercussions. Former officer David “Gold Bar Dave” Rush, who allegedly worked in the agency’s Science and Technology Directorate, was recently arrested after fabricating his time sheets, and likely worse—hoarding 300 kilograms of gold bars from the agency for several months.After his arrest, the FBI also discovered several million dollars in cash, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in luxury watches in his house. Moreover, it’s now been discovered that Rush had weaved an intricate web of lies that the agency and DoD (now the Department of War) had fallen for (or ignored) for over a decade, including lies about every credential he had for almost two decades. He had also joined the Senior Executive Service (SES) as one of the top civil servants in the U.S. Government.Here is the affidavit outlining Rush’s charges.If Rush’s charges are factually true and he is deemed to be guilty, these events point to critical missteps and tremendous failures that may lead to incredible damage to the United States once (if) the full story ever comes out, and, it should be a serious wakeup call for the U.S. intelligence community about how they vet officers working with some of the most sensitive information, in some of the most sensitive positions in the country. This is our take. Are we right on the money, or off by a long shot? If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to like, comment, share, and subscribe--and leave us a star rating :)  If you'd like to join us on the show, reach out at [email protected] sincerely appreciate your listenership, feedback, and our growing On the Fringe Community. All the best from both of us, Dave and Gav

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The CIA doesn't have a big enough broom for the Gold Bar Dave scandal

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This episode is 13 minutes long.

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This episode was published on May 31, 2026.

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(00:00:00) An introduction to 'Gold Bar Dave' (David Rush) (00:05:32) The craziest part and biggest miss of the investigation (00:08:25) Implications of the breach and why the FBI and IRS should leave no stone unturned In this episode, Dave and...

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