Former federal prosecutor tells 'Hobbit' James O'Keefe: 'You're a nasty little cowardly spud'

Former federal prosecutor Jim Letten called out conservative video prankster James O'Keefe in a video released by O'Keefe on Monday, calling O'Keefe and his crew "hobbits" on several occasions and cursing at him, Talking Points Memo reported.

"You went to my house, you terrorized my wife, you're violating federal law, you're trespassing, you're a nasty little cowardly spud," Letten tells O'Keefe. "All of you, you're hobbits. You are less than I can ever tell you. You are scum. Do you understand?"

WWL-TV reported in July 2013 that the face-off at Tulane University, where Letten is now assistant dean for the university's law school, was a result of O'Keefe's efforts to interview his wife at his private residence.

Letten recused himself in 2010 from overseeing a phone-tampering case involving O'Keefe and three other men accused of trying to tap then-Sen. Mary Landrieu's (D) phones. In the video, Letten tells O'Keefe, "I didn't prosecute your case, as*hole," though he did not elaborate as to why he did so.

O'Keefe replies by holding up a copy of his 2010 book, which he attempted to give to Letten. In narration over the video, O'Keefe called it "a minor assault in front of officers" when Letten tossed the book back at him, while accusing Letten of "making up a crime."

Watch the video, released on Monday, below.

[Ed. Note: This post was updated to clarify that O'Keefe and his associates were initially accused to trying to tap Landrieu's phones. The charges were later reduced to entering federal property under false pretenses, and O'Keefe and his associates later pleaded guilty to the lesser charges.]