A lawsuit that takes aim at special counsel Robert Mueller was seemingly dealt a blow Thursday when a judge ruled against a request by the plaintiff Jerome Corsi.

Corsi, a conservative author and journalist, sued Mueller last month over claims the head of the Russia investigation is ordering surveillance against him and harassing his family. Corsi and his attorney Larry Klayman asked for District Court Judge Richard Leon to hear the case, but Leon denied the request.

According to The Hill, Leon told Klayman and Corsi that his presiding over the case would "undermine" the normal process that assigns cases to judges at random.

Klayman and Corsi asked Leon, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, take their case because Corsi's lawsuit is similar to others related to surveillance that Leon has taken on.

Leon did not see it that way.

Klayman said the decision is "dead wrong," The Hill reported. Corsi, however, had a more positive spin on the matter.

"Judge Leon referred the case to be assigned to a random District Court judge. RESULT from TODAY: CORSI v MUELLER court case WILL NOW PROCEED. Mueller is best advised to settle now because WE WON'T QUIT until DEEP STATE is exposed, even if it takes going to Supreme Court to win," Corsi tweeted.

Presiding over the case will be District Court Judge Ellen Segal Huevelle.

Last week, Leon denied a request by Mueller to delay Thursday's hearing.

Corsi said in November he expects to be indicted by Mueller's team, which is probing whether the Trump campaign had improper ties to Russia. He has yet to be indicted as Mueller seeks to link him and Roger Stone to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.