David Rush CIA: Former Intelligence Officer Indicted for Allegedly Leaking Classified Information on Secret Espionage Operations
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A former Central Intelligence Agency officer, identified as David Rush, has been formally indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of unauthorized disclosure of national defense information, the Department of Justice confirmed today.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, the indictment alleges that between January 2022 and November 2024, Rush, a 52-year-old resident of Arlington, Virginia, transmitted classified documents to an individual not authorized to receive them. The materials reportedly detailed sensitive CIA espionage methodologies and the identities of covert human sources in Eastern Europe.
Authorities say the leak occurred through encrypted messaging applications and personal email accounts, bypassing agency security protocols. The investigation, led by the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, was initiated after a routine audit of secure communications flagged anomalies.
Rush, who served as a senior intelligence officer specializing in human intelligence operations for 15 years, has been placed on administrative leave. He was arrested without incident at his residence early this morning. If convicted, Rush faces up to 10 years in federal prison for each of three counts of violating the Espionage Act.
The CIA has declined to comment, citing the ongoing legal proceedings. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for next week in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.