Former President Donald Trump has been blocked by Judge Tanya Chutkan from accessing federal prosecutors' evidence ahead of his federal election interference trial, as reported by Newsweek. Chutkan, who is overseeing the trial, issued an order on Wednesday that prohibits Trump's legal team from viewing certain classified information deemed relevant to the case. The decision comes as Trump faces four counts, including conspiracy to defraud the United States, following an indictment by a federal grand jury in August.

The Department of Justice's special counsel, Jack Smith, has been investigating Trump's alleged attempts to overturn the election results, including the submission of false elector slates from swing states he lost in the Electoral College. Trump has consistently maintained his innocence, claiming that he is being targeted for political purposes. He has pleaded not guilty in this case, as well as in three other criminal cases.

In their motion, the government invoked the Classified Information Procedures Act and Rule (CIPA) to request the withholding of certain classified evidence from Trump's legal team. Citing national security concerns, Judge Chutkan granted the government's motion, allowing prosecutors to provide an unclassified summary substitution for the classified information. The specific nature of the evidence being withheld remains undisclosed.

Chutkan ruled that the summary presented by the government adequately describes any relevant and helpful content necessary for the defense. This decision aligns with Smith's position. Earlier this month, Trump's legal team had filed a motion requesting "attorneys'-eyes-only" access to the CIPA documents, but Chutkan emphasized that no previous case has granted such relief.

Judge Aileen Cannon, who presides over the federal trial regarding the classified documents found at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence, also issued an order related to a CIPA filing by the government. In this separate case, the government sought to impose broader restrictions on Trump's legal team's access to classified documents. However, Cannon dismissed their request, stating that they must follow the proper mechanisms to do so, even if the special counsel meets the burden of restricting access to classified information from the defendants.

Newsweek reached out to Trump's campaign for comment but has yet to receive a response. The trial continues to unfold, with Trump's legal team encountering limitations in accessing classified evidence while the government seeks to establish its case against the former president.