Rocking the NSA: Last year, Russ Tice was fired by the National Security Agency after being diagnosed as paranoid by a government psychologist. He had alledged that a co-worker of Asian descent was spying for China. As a diagnosed paranoid, Tice’s security clearance was revoked and he was fired after 18 years of working in various government intelligence departments.

On Dec. 16, the day the “New York Times” published its bombshell article on how the NSA was spying illegally on American citizens at the direction of President George Bush, Tice sent a letter to Congress offering to “spill my guts,” revealing what he says are lots of nasty NSA secrets.

According to GovExec.com, the NSA appears to be trying to reign in Tice:

Complicating matters further, NSA sent Tice a letter Jan. 9 telling him that he has to notify the Defense Department inspectors general or NSA of his complaint, and of the information he intends to share with Congress. The letter added that Tice has to receive direction on how to proceed from the secretary of defense or NSA director – two of the people he alleges were involved in illegal or unconstitutional activity.

Tice said he does not intend to comply with NSA’s order.

“I’m done with the NSA. I don’t work for them anymore,” he said. “The thing is, they’re freaking out now because they don’t want me to say anything.”

And while Tice’s revelations are not related to those uncovered by the “Times,” he says they run so deep at the NSA and Defense Department that they are so classified as to be unactionable:

“To be honest, this stuff is so deep and black that I don’t think they’re going to [press criminal charges],” he said. “Even though laws more than likely have been broken, I doubt very seriously that they’re going to charge anybody with anything because that might compromise some of this stuff by bringing it into the courts.”

Although Tice claims a private-sector psychologist examined him and found no evidence of paranoia, he is a disgruntled employee who waited to come forward as whistle-blower until the NSA story broke nationally. So far, no congressional committee has officially responded to Tice’s offer, and the situation is further complicated by the fact that any hearings would have to be closed, secured and in the presence of legislators with high security clearance.

Only time will tell if Russ Tice is indeed a patriot in the service of truth and justice, or a bitter ex-employee consumed by paranoia.