Three of Hillary Clinton’s lawyers accused of deleting thousands of her emails will be investigated by the Maryland state bar, a judge announced Monday.

Circuit Judge Paul F. Harris Jr. ruled that “allegations of destroying evidence” against David E. Kendall, Cheryl Mills and Heather Samuelson couldn’t be dismissed as frivolous.

He said the state’s rules require the bar to conduct investigations no matter who raises the complaint and can’t brush aside accusations. The judge made the announcement a day before Mrs. Clinton releases her latest book, “What Happened,” and begins a months-long book tour attempting to explain how she lost an election she thought she had secured. The Maryland bar complaint was brought by Ty Clevenger, a lawyer who has pursued sanctions against Mrs. Clinton and her legal team in several venues and who is also pressing the FBI to release details of its investigation into the former top diplomat. Bars in Arkansas and the District of Columbia, as well as federal courts, brushed aside requests from Mr. Clevenger, who is seeking to have Mrs. Clinton and her attorneys suspended or disbarred. But Judge Harris said Mr. Clevenger’s request appears to have merit and that Maryland will have to at least launch an investigation and demand a response from the lawyers, Mr. Clevenger said. (The Washington Times)

A lawyer for the bar counsel believed Ty’s complaint was “frivolous” but did not go into detail.

Harris rejected that argument, however, and ordered the investigation.

“I just think this is a rather easy decision at this point,” he said. “The court is ordering bar counsel to investigate.”

The judge’s decision marks the second victory of Ty in recent days. After the FBI denied his open records request of its investigation, arguing it lacked enough public interest to overcome Clinton’s privacy rights, the Justice Department said it would expedite his request.