This is big news. People don’t get immunity deals from the federal government unless they have something big. And it would appear the Justice Department has something big because they have just given immunity to a familiar player in the email scandal:

The Justice Department has granted immunity to the former State Department staffer who worked on Hillary Rodham Clinton’s private email server, a sign the FBI investigation into possible criminal wrongdoing is progressing.

A senior U.S. law enforcement official said the FBI had secured the cooperation of Bryan Pagliano who worked on Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign before setting up the server in her New York home in 2009.

As the FBI looks to wrap up its investigation in the coming months, agents will likely want to interview Clinton and her senior aides about the decision to use a private server, how it was set up, and whether any of the participants knew they were sending classified information in emails, current and former officials said.

The inquiry comes against a sensitive political backdrop in which Clinton is the favorite to secure the Democratic nomination for the presidency.

This isn’t a Friday. This drops in the middle of the week just after a big Super Tuesday win.

In a statement, Brian Fallon, a spokesman for the Clinton campaign, said: “As we have said since last summer, Secretary Clinton has been cooperating with the Department of Justice’s security inquiry, including offering in August to meet with them to assist their efforts if needed.”

He also said that the campaign is “pleased” that Pagliano, who invoked the Fifth amendment before Congress, is now cooperating with prosecutors.

If by pleased you mean, “freaking out” then that would be about right. Is CNN going to put up a “Hillary Indictment Clock” any time soon?