Former President Donald Trump lost a bid Friday to toss lawsuits holding him responsible for inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.

Federal Judge Amit Mehta rejected Trump’s attempt to dismiss the civil cases with a claim that he has absolute immunity because he was in office at the time.

“To deny a President immunity from civil damages is no small step,” Mehta wrote in a 112-page ruling. “The court well understands the gravity of its decision. But the alleged facts of this case are without precedent, and the court believes that its decision is consistent with the purposes behind such immunity.”

Mehta, a U.S. District Court judge in Washington, DC, and appointed by former President Barack Obama, ruled that Trump could be sued for helping to incite the Capitol riot because his “Stop the Steal” speech ahead of the attack in the city was not an official presidential act.