Russ Tice Russell D . Tice ( born 1961 ) is a former intelligence analyst for the U . S . Air Force , Office of Naval Intelligence , Defense Intelligence Agency ( DIA ) , and National Security Agency ( NSA ) . During his nearly 20 - year career with various United States government agencies , he conducted intelligence missions related to the Kosovo War , Afghanistan , the USS " Cole " bombing in Yemen , and Operation Iraqi Freedom . In December , 2005 , Tice helped spark a national controversy over claims that the NSA and the DIA were engaged in unlawful and unconstitutional wiretaps on American citizens . He later admitted that he was one of the sources that were used in the " New York Times " reporting on the wiretap activity in December 2005 . After speaking publicly about the need for legislation to protect whistleblowers , Tice received national attention as the first NSA - whistleblower in May 2005 before William Binney , Thomas Andrews Drake , Mark Klein , Thomas Tamm , and Edward Snowden came forward . Whistleblower . Tice was terminated by the NSA in May 2005 , just days after publicly urging Congress to pass stronger protections for federal intelligence agency whistleblowers facing retaliation . In September 2005 , the inspector general issued an unclassified report that found " no evidence " to support Tice ' s claims . In December 2005 , Tice alleged the NSA and the DIA were engaged in unlawful and unconstitutional conduct against the American people , and helped spark a national controversy . Tice stated that the activities involved the Director of the NSA , the Deputies Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations , and the U . S . Secretary of Defense , and were conducted via very highly sensitive intelligence programs and operations known as special access program s ( SAP ) , more commonly referred to as " black world " programs , or " black ops " . Tice was a technical intelligence specialist dealing with SAP programs and operations at both NSA and DIA . On December 16 , the " New York Times " revealed that the NSA was engaged in a clandestine eavesdropping program that bypassed the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act ( FISA ) court . Media reports on January 10 , 2006 , indicated Tice was a source of the " Times " leak , which revealed that , under the direction of the White House and without requisite court orders , the NSA has been intercepting international communications to and from points within the United States . In a letter dated December 18 , 2005 , to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence , the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence , and to Senator Pat Roberts , Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence , he said he was prepared to testify about the SAP programs , under the provisions of the Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protection Act . It is not known , however , what the testimony would specifically involve . It has been assumed that the problem concerned the electronic surveillance of Americans , but in an interview published 13 January 2006 , Tice said : In a press release issued by the National Security Whistleblowers Coalition on December 22 , 2005 , Tice explained the public aspect of his charges , stating that , " As a Signals Intelligence ( SIGINT ) officer it is continually drilled into us that the very first law chiseled in the SIGINT equivalent of the Ten Commandments ( USSID - 18 ) is that Thou shall not spy on American persons without a court order from FISA . This law is continually drilled into each NSA intelligence officer throughout his or her career . The very people that lead the National Security Agency have violated this holy edict of SIGINT " . On December 23 , 2005 , the " Austin American - Statesman " , reported Tice ' s allegations that spying on Americans may involve a massive computer system known as ECHELON , which is able to search and filter hundreds of thousands of phone calls and e - mails in a matter of seconds . On January 3 , 2006 , Tice appeared on the national radio / TV show " Democracy Now ! " and said he wants to testify before Congress . Tice said " I ' m involved with some certain aspects of the intelligence community , which are very closely held , and I believe I have seen some things that are illegal " . On January 5 , 2006 , " The Washington Times " reported that Tice wants to testify before congress about electronic intelligence programs that he asserts were carried out illegally by the NSA and DIA . " I intend to report to Congress probable unlawful and unconstitutional acts conducted while I was an intelligence officer with the National Security Agency and with the Defense Intelligence Agency , " Tice stated in letters , dated December 16 , 2005 and disclosed by the " New York Times " . In a letter dated January 10 , 2006 , Renee Seymour , Director of the NSA Special Access Programs Central Office , warned Tice that members of neither the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence , nor of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence had clearance to receive the classified information about the SAP ' s that Tice was prepared to provide . An article by Chris Strohm in " Government Executive " says that some congressional staffers believe that Tice " comes with baggage " . In reaction to Tice ' s claims , Rush Limbaugh and Bill O ' Reilly , two prominent figures in conservative media , launched an offensive against his credibility . On his Fox News broadcast of January 11 , 2006 , O ' Reilly said that Tice should be jailed for his whistleblowing activity . But Tice told ABC News that " As far as I ' m concerned , as long as I don ' t say anything that ' s classified , I ' m not worried . . . We need to clean up the intelligence community . We ' ve had abuses , and they need to be addressed . " On February 14 , 2006 , United Press International ( UPI ) reported Tice testified to the House Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security , Emerging Threats and International Relations that the Special Access Program might have violated millions of Americans ' Constitutional rights , but that neither the committee members nor the NSA inspector general had clearance to review the program . On May 12 , 2006 , thinkprogress . org reported a story by CongressDaily in which Tice was said to be planning an appearance the next week before the Senate Armed Service Committee , when further revelations would be made on " a different angle " of the NSA ' s surveillance program . Ultimately this did not occur and it is still unclear why . On July 26 , 2006 , he was subpoenaed to appear before a federal grand jury regarding violations of federal law . He stated , " This latest action by the government is designed only for one purpose : to ensure that people who witness criminal action being committed by the government are intimidated into remaining silent " . On the first of two consecutive appearances on MSNBC ' s " Countdown with Keith Olbermann " ( January 21 , 2009 ) , Russ Tice stated that while he worked in the NSA , his role was to follow the communications of specific individuals in a program separate from the one that had been previously disclosed . and January 22 , He stated that he initially understood that he was to identify the communication methods of journalists ( and entire news organizations ) so that they could avoid collection . He subsequently learned that these channels were being recorded 24 / 7 . Since this appeared to be a political and not security operation of the NSA , Tice withheld disclosing it until the next administration . Tice also stated that programs were given dual military and intelligence status so that both types of congressional oversight could be simultaneously denied . On June 19 , 2013 , Tice claimed while being interviewed that the NSA had spied on Barack Obama while he was a senator , along with monitoring federal judges , ranking military officials , and other members of Congress , saying he himself had seen and held papers ordering such actions . He went on to say , " This thing is incredible what NSA has done . They ' ve basically turned themselves — in my opinion — into a rogue agency that has J . Edgar Hoover capabilities on a monstrous scale on steroids " .