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Jack Barsky, a former Russian spy, was hired in 2011 to work at the New York Independent System Operator, which runs the state power grid. This 2001 file photo shows a NYISO control room in suburban Albany.

(Tim Roske)

A top information technology specialist at the organization that runs New York's power grid has an interesting past: He is a former Russian spy.

According to a "60 Minutes'' report Sunday, Jack Barsky, director of software development at the New York Independent System Operator, came to the United States in the 1970s as a KGB agent. He was born Albrecht Dieterich in East Germany, but assumed a new identity in this country.

Barsky, 70, stopped working as a spy before the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, and he was discovered by the FBI soon afterward. Barsky has cooperated with the FBI since then, and never went to jail, CBS reported.

The New York Independent System Operator, which runs the state power grid, was unaware of Barsky's past when it hired him in 2011, according to the Albany Times Union. The NYISO learned about his KGB ties only after Barsky revealed the upcoming "60 Minutes" interview to them, a spokesman said. Barsky is currently on administrative leave from the NYISO.

Barsky earns approximately $300,000 at his job at the NYISO, reports Capital New York. He resides in Schaghticoke, a suburb of Albany.

The NYISO released this statement: "We are aware of a '60 Minutes' piece involving one of our employees, Jack Barsky, that is unrelated to his employment here. Out of an abundance of caution, we reviewed the matter with the appropriate federal and state authorities. We continue to work closely with them, and our extensive internal reviews of this matter have shown no instances of our systems or security having been affected in any way. We remain confident that our systems will continue to keep the electric system safe and reliable for all New Yorkers."

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