WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors investigating the possible mishandling of classified materials on Hillary Clinton’s private email server have begun the process of setting up interviews with some of her longtime and closest aides, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Those interviews and the final review of the case, however, could still take many weeks, all but guaranteeing that the investigation will continue to dog Clinton’s presidential campaign through most, if not all, of the remaining presidential primaries.

No dates have been set for questioning the advisers, but a federal prosecutor in recent weeks has called their lawyers to alert them that he would soon do so, the sources said. Prosecutors also are expected to seek an interview with Clinton, though when remains unclear.

The interviews by FBI agents and prosecutors will help them understand whether Clinton or her aides knowingly or negligently discussed classified government secrets over a nonsecure email system when she was secretary of state.

The meetings also are an indication that much of the investigators’ background work – recovering deleted emails, understanding how the server operated and determining whether it was breached – is nearing completion.

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