Her top staffers have all been heard from, and now a federal judge will hold a hearing on whether to force Hillary Clinton herself to be deposed. The surprise news comes as Judicial Watch continues to push for answers in a civil proceeding against Clinton. 

Politico reports that the timing of the hearing will heighten political intrigue in less than two weeks time.

After Judicial Watch made the request Friday afternoon, U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan almost immediately ordered the government to respond by Tuesday and he set a hearing on the issue for July 18. That happens to be the first day of the Republican National Convention and a week before the opening of the Democratic National Convention, where Clinton is expected to receive the Democratic presidential nomination.

Already Clinton's top staffers past and present have had to answer questions on their boss and her use of a private email server, including Cheryl Mills, Huma Abedin and Bryan Pagliano. While the depositions were captured by video camera, Justice Sullivan blocked the release of audio or video of the depositions after a request by Mills.

The move effectively blocks Republicans from using any of the testimony in TV ads against Clinton.