A former CIA officer accused of siphoning off more than $40 million worth of gold bars abused a highly classified intelligence system designed to protect some of the US' most sensitive operations, according to a report by The New York Times.

The case shook the intelligence community and comes as President Trump has signaled support for reducing intelligence workforce.

A former CIA officer who was caught with $40 million in gold bars allegedly created a fake intelligence program in order to steal the money.