Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) on Friday offered a terse, gutsy response to a threatened lawsuit from Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.): “Take your letter and shove it.”

Twitter followers went bonkers.

Lieu posted the first page of a letter from an attorney for Nunes threatening a lawsuit — and his own letter back.

It’s not clear from the single page of the lawyer’s missive specifically what the threatened lawsuit would address, though it mentions Nunes’ right to an “unimpaired reputation.” Lieu’s letter indicates that it would involve his allegations in December that Nunes conspired with indicted Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas in the Ukraine scheme to smear Joe Biden.

The lawsuit threat is particularly ironic now that newly released records have revealed extensive links between Nunes aide Derek Harvey and Parnas.

By his own admission, Parnas worked to pressure Ukraine to announce an investigation into unfounded accusations against the former vice president. He has said he was following Donald Trump’s wishes as communicated to him by Giuliani, the president’s personal attorney.

The House report on Trump’s impeachment last month also revealed phone logs of several calls between Nunes and Parnas.

“I received your letter ... in which you state your client Congressman Devin Nunes will sue me if I don’t, among other actions, issue a public apology to Devin Nunes,” Lieu wrote to Nunes’ attorney in the letter he posted on Twitter. “It is true that I stated Congressman Nunes worked with Lev Parnas and conspired to undermine our own government.”

Lieu warned that “truth is a defense” and then snapped: “I welcome any lawsuit from your client and look forward to taking discovery of Congressman Nunes. Or, you can take your letter and shove it.”

Lieu copied Nunes.

Attached is the first page of a five page letter in which the lawyer for @DevinNunes threatens that Rep Nunes will sue me.



Attached is my response. pic.twitter.com/bWAqdRhq97 — Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) January 17, 2020

Nunes has launched a startling number of lawsuits; it’s not clear if any of them have been successful.

The congressman, who once co-sponsored the Discouraging Frivolous Lawsuits Act, is suing CNN and the parent company of his hometown newspaper, The Fresno Bee. He is also suing a group of his own constituents for calling him a “fake farmer” after it was revealed that the “family farm” he boasts about is located in Iowa, not California. Among the most mocked is his suit against Twitter and a parody Twitter account, @Devin Nunes’ Cow.

Lieu’s Twitter fans applauded his response.

Love this. And you. Thanks for never hesitating to do what’s right. — Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) January 18, 2020

Who is paying for all of Nunes’s frivolous lawsuits?? — CountryOverConman (@TrumpNewsPolls) January 17, 2020

A fake farmer suing a former prosecutor seems like a bad idea. It fact, it’s mooronic. 🐮 — Milton Fletcher (@mfletcher530) January 17, 2020

Can’t love this enough. Thank you Congressman Lieu — Nicholas Gearing (@Mr_Gearing) January 18, 2020

Congressman Ted Lieu is an American treasure.



But his California colleague Devin Nunes is a national embarrassment. A lying, partisan hack.



Stand strong, Mr. Lieu! We've got your back for any stupid lawsuit that fake farmer from the Central Valley throws your way: pic.twitter.com/MZgIHGa1Bx — Russell Drew (@RussOnPolitics) January 18, 2020

Devin Nunes undermined his own country for Donald Trump, and Ted Lieu will not be apologizing to him for calling him out on it, because:



“As you know, truth is a defense.” — Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) January 18, 2020

Perfect response, Thank You. @DevinNunes lawsuit against you would be almost as wacko as his $250,000,000.00 lawsuit against Devin Nunes’ cow 🐮 (@DevinCow) pic.twitter.com/eKzgYaov1i — American Liberal (@AmerLiberal) January 18, 2020

I’m the Democrat running against @DevinNunes.



He has sued an internet cow, media outlets, consituents, now @tedlieu.



He is unfit to serve in public office, but we need your help to defeat him. Chip in to our grassroots campaign now! https://t.co/e0hlTYSUn4 — Phil Arballo (@PhilArballo2020) January 17, 2020