Now we know why Emil Bove didn't deny saying 'f*** you' to the U.S. judiciary

Emails and text messages back up the whistle-blower's accusations against Emil Bove and expose DOJ's spin and lies in the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia

Emil Bove testifying at a Senate nomination hearing to become a Third Circuit judge. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

The Senate Judiciary Committee’s Democratic members released some 150 pages of emails, text messages and other records backing up the whistle-blower complaint against Emil Bove.

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When testifying before the Senate in June, Donald Trump’s former criminal defense attorney turned senior Justice Department official Emil Bove claimed that he had “no recollection” whether he instructed prosecutors to tell the U.S. judiciary “f*** you.”

It was an oddly evasive answer for someone applying to become a federal appellate judge, and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) pointedly pressed Bove about whether the remark was something that he would remember.

Now we know why Bove refused to respond with a flat denial.

Ex-Justice Department attorney Erez Reuveni, who blew the whistle on Bove, had the evidence backing up his account in writing.

On Thursday, the Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee released roughly 150 pages of text messages, emails and documents backing up Reuveni’s account, including this text exchange between the whistle-blower and his then-supervisor August Flentje. The messages were dated a day after a March 14 meeting, where Reuveni said that Bove told Justice Department lawyers to tell the courts “f*** you” if necessary to advance Trump’s immigration agenda.

On March 15, when the messages were exchanged, the Trump administration whisked more than 261 men to El Salvador, ignoring U.S. District Judge James Boasberg’s order to send the flights back to the United States.

“guess it[’]s find out time on the ‘f*** you,’” Reuveni wrote.

“Yup. It was good working with you,” Flentje replied.

A day later, Flentje opined that they were “likely saved for today by the fact that Boasberg is on vacation.”

The documents show Reuveni’s other colorful reference to the Justice Department’s proverbial flipping off of the U.S. judiciary.