A federal judge on Friday refused to reconsider his decision blocking subpoenas tied to a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, dealing another setback to the Justice Department and setting up a likely appeal that could prolong the standoff.

Chief U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia James Boasberg, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, rejected the DOJ’s motion to revisit his earlier ruling, finding that prosecutors failed to present new evidence or identify any clear legal error that would justify reversing course.