A federal judge on Wednesday rejected the Department of Justice's request to unseal grand jury records related to Jeffrey Epstein and his sex-trafficking operations.

The decision is a blow to the Trump administration as Attorney General Pam Bondi struggles to contend with public backlash over her handling of the case and the release of relevant materials.

U.S. District Judge Richard Berman issued the decision, Reuters reported. The move follows a decision earlier this month from a judge who refused to unseal grand jury materials related to Ghislaine Maxwell's case.

Maxwell was convicted of sex-trafficking and served as the madame to Epstein.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.