"I decided on this course when I was 14 years old," the letter stated. "I had read Philby's book. Now that is insane, eh!"
The FBI affidavit said Hanssen and CIA spy Aldrich Ames identified to the Russians three KGB double agents, leading to the execution of two of them. The third was imprisoned but ultimately released.
The document also said Hanssen "compromised dozens of United States government classified documents."
The affidavit said Hanssen also compromised a technical program "of enormous value" and "specific communications intelligence capabilities, as well as several specific targets." And he disclosed FBI counterintelligence techniques, sources, methods and operations, the bureau said.
He also tipped off the KGB to the FBI's secret investigation of Felix Bloch, a foreign service agent suspected of spying for Moscow in 1989, the FBI said. The KGB was then able to warn Bloch, the agency said. Justice Department prosecutors were never able to find key evidence that Bloch passed secret documents.
Hanssen had been spying since 1985, the FBI alleged.
The director said ongoing efforts to uncover foreign spying turned up original Russian documentation of an American spy who turned out to be Hanssen. "We didn't stumble into this investigation," said Freeh, but didn't elaborate on what led the FBI to focus on Hanssen.
According to the affidavit, Hanssen became an agent of the KGB while he was assigned to the intelligence division of the FBI field office in New York City as supervisor of a foreign counterintelligence squad.
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