"You have undermined your credibility in this courthouse," Judge Dabney Friedrich said. "Knock it off."
ADVERTISEMENTA federal judge on Monday defended special counsel Robert Mueller from what she called "meritless attacks" as she delivered a scathing denunciation of a lawyer for a Russian company charged with meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
The confrontation took place inside a Washington D.C. courtroom where Judge Dabney Friedrich scolded Eric Dubelier, the attorney for Concord Management, over a recent court filing.
"I thought your brief was inappropriate and unprofessional and ineffective," Friedrich told Dubelier. "You have undermined your credibility in this courthouse."
"Knock it off," she added.
Dubelier's provocative three-page brief quoted the film "Animal House," saying the special counsel's strategy in the case was akin to saying: "You f---ed up. You trusted us."
Concord Management was one of three companies charged last February with carrying out a multi-million dollar social media disinformation campaign designed to sow discord among U.S. voters and boost President Donald Trump's campaign.
Lawyers for Concord Management have been fighting to get the charges dropped, arguing in part that the company did not knowingly break the law.
In court Monday, Dubelier defended the filing and accused Friedrich, a Trump-appointee, of being impartial.
"There seems to be some bias in this court," said Dubelier, adding that he may withdraw from the case.
The next hearing was scheduled for March 7.