Judge rules Huma Abedin and other staffers are fair game for questioning over Clinton emails

A federal judge ruled Tuesday morning that Hillary Clinton's staff should be questioned concerning her private email server, a move that could possibly extend the controversy through November. Conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch filed the motion over a 2013 request for information about the employment of longtime Clinton aide Huma Abedin. The group argued that there was "reasonable suspicion" that Clinton's staff tried to wiggle around laws concerning email record keeping, Politico reports.

The State Department has said it is reviewing the judge's order; the department may choose to appeal the ruling.

Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton said the judge's decision was "a major victory for the public's right to know the truth about Hillary Clinton's email system." Likewise, the process will now take months and could "easily extend all the way through Election Day and give Republicans new ammunition to use on the trail," Politico writes.

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Judicial Watch is expected to question Clinton's staff about why she used a private server as well as how it was determined which of Clinton's 60,000 emails were work-related or personal. Clinton's staff reportedly deleted personal emails.

Judicial Watch has not yet sought Clinton's own testimony.