Judge Emmet G. Sullivan comes out swinging at USPS to open his hearing, and USPS's failure to comply with his order.

"Someone might have a price to pay for that," he said.

Sullivan to the Dept. of Justice lawyer representing USPS: "It’s your clients that I have some concern about, each and every one of them, starting at the top of the food chain."

SULLIVAN: "It just leaves a bad taste in everyone’s mouth for the clock to run out – game’s over – and then to find out there was no compliance with a very important court order."

DoJ: "It took some time for this order to get to the right people."