Donald Trump failed on Thursday to halt a series of lawsuits accusing him of inciting the attack on the U.S. Capitol while the former president navigates a 2020 election interference criminal case in Washington.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington rejected a request from defense attorneys to stay the civil case seeking to hold Trump accountable for the Jan. 6, 2021, riot while charging him with conspiring to overturn the election of President Joe Biden Failed criminal cases play out.

It’s the latest legal setback for the Republican presidential candidate, who has another criminal case related to hush money payments made during the 2016 campaign, with jury selection starting this week in New York.

On January 6, Democratic lawmakers and police officers who defended the Capitol filed a lawsuit seeking civil damages for the injuries they suffered during the attack, which was aimed at preventing Congress from certifying Biden’s victory.

Trump has claimed that he cannot be prosecuted for the riots that left dozens of police officers injured, arguing that comments he made at a rally before the storming of the Capitol involved “a matter of public concern” and fell under the president’s absolute immunity. scope.

A federal appeals court in Washington ruled in December that the lawsuit could move forward, rejecting Trump’s sweeping claim that presidential immunity shields him from liability. However, the court said that as the case progresses, Trump can continue to try to prove that he acted in his official capacity as president.

In court documents filed last month, Trump’s lawyers told the judge that “fundamental fairness to criminal defendants” required a stay of the civil case until the criminal case over the 2020 election was resolved. They argued that allowing the lawsuit to proceed could force Trump to “prematurely reveal” his defense strategy in the criminal case.

Mehta, who was appointed to the bench by former President Barack Obama, said that in addition to criminal cases, the public is also concerned about the speedy resolution of civil lawsuits. The judge said “appropriate safeguards” could be put in place to move forward without infringing on Trump’s Fifth Amendment right to avoid self-incrimination.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear next week on Trump’s argument for immunity from criminal prosecution in an election interference case brought by special counsel Jack Smith. The ruling will determine whether Trump must stand trial in a case accusing him of conspiring to stay in power after Americans voted out of office.