A Senate investigations panel confronted Goldman Sachs executives Tuesday with evidence that the firm peddled subprime mortgage securities its traders considered to be “crap” as they secretly made huge wagers on a housing downturn.

For their part, the Goldman witnesses strongly denied that the firm intentionally cashed in on the housing crash by crafting a strategy to bet against mortgage securities while misleading its own investors.

“I will defend myself in court against this false claim,” said Fabrice Tourre, a French-born 31-year-old Goldman trader who was the only individual named in the SEC suit. “I deny — categorically — the SEC’s allegation.”