Politics & Government

Video: Former U.S. Attorney Calls Westwood Resident 'Nasty Little Cowardly Spud'

James O'Keefe was filming former U.S. Attorney Jim Letten, whose office prosecuted O'Keefe for a 2010 incident.

A video posted online Monday appears to show former U.S. Attorney Jim Letten call Westwood resident James O'Keefe "a nasty little cowardly spud," a "hobbit" and "scum."

O'Keefe, who gained notoriety for hidden camera videos with a political slant, pleaded guilty in federal court in 2010 to posing as a telephone repairman and entering Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu's office. He was on probation and mostly confined to New Jersey until earlier this year.

The new video shows a confrontation between O'Keefe and his crew and Letten on the Tulane University campus, apparently after first visiting Letten's home and speaking to his wife.

"You went to my house, you terrorized my wife," Letten said in the video. "You're violating federal law, you're violating state law, you're trespassing. You're a nasty little cowardly spud. All of you, you're hobbits. You are less than I can ever tell you. You are scum."

O'Keefe released a book, a biographical manifesto for the conservative activist called "Breakthrough," earlier this summer. He attempted to give Letten a copy of the book in the video, though the former U.S. attorney declined to take it.

O'Keefe was banned from the Tulane campus after the incident.


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