Schiff Grills Trump DOJ Nominee in Tense Skirmish: Did You Order Staff to Tell Federal Courts ‘F*ck You?’

Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) grilled a Justice Department nominee on Wednesday about whether he ordered DOJ staff to defy a court order.

In a confirmation hearing held by the Senate Judiciary Committee, the California senator confronted senior DOJ official Emil Bove — who has been nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit — about whether he demanded DOJ personnel defy a federal judge’s order. A recently fired DOJ lawyer has alleged, in a whistleblower complaint, that Bove — in a March 14 meeting — told DOJ staff that Trump soon planned to order mass deportation flights for migrants, and that the flights were to take off even if a court order prohibited them from doing so.

“Bove stated that DOJ would need to consider telling the courts ‘fuck you’ and ignore any such order,” according to the whistleblower complaint made by fired DOJ lawyer Erez Reuveni (via The New York Times).

“Did you say anything of that kind in the meeting?” Schiff asked Bove.

“Senator, I have no recollection of saying anything of that kind,” Bove replied.

“Wouldn’t you recall, Mr. Bove, if you said or suggested during a meeting with Justice Department lawyers that maybe they should consider telling the courts, ‘Fuck you?'” Schiff shot back. “It seems to me that would be something you’d remember — unless that’s the kind of thing you say frequently.”

“Well, I’ve certainly said things encouraging litigators at the department to fight hard for valid positions that we have to take in defense of our client,” Bove said.

But Schiff specifically wanted to know if any of those encouragements were of the four-letter variety.

“And have you frequently suggested that they say ‘fuck you’ and ignore court orders” Schiff said. “Is that also something you frequently do — such you might not remember doing it in this occasion?”

“No, and as I explained, I have never directed—” Bove replied, before Schiff cut him off.

“So did you or did you not make those comments during that meeting?” He asked.

“Which comments?” Bove asked.

Schiff let out an exasperated sigh.

“You really need me to repeat it?” Schiff said. “Did you suggest, as Mr. Reuveni wrote, that DOJ would need to consider telling the courts, ‘fuck you,’ and ignore any such court order?”

“I did not suggest that there would be any need to consider ignoring court orders,” Bove said. “At the point of that meeting, there were no court orders to discuss.”

“Well, did you suggest telling the courts fuck you in any manner?” Schiff said.

“I don’t recall,” Bove answered.

Watch above, via PBS.