Federal agents executed search warrants Wednesday at the office of Virginia Senate President pro tempore Louise Lucas as part of a reported corruption investigation involving the longtime Democratic lawmaker.
The FBI carried out multiple court-authorized searches at Lucas’s office in Portsmouth, Virginia, while agents also searched a nearby cannabis dispensary located next door to the senator’s office. Multiple FBI vehicles were at the scene Wednesday morning in what a representative confirmed was an ongoing investigation.
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“The FBI is executing a court-authorized federal search warrant in Portsmouth, VA,” an FBI spokesperson told the Washington Examiner, adding that “there is no threat to public safety.”
“This is an ongoing investigation and no further information is publicly available at this time,” the spokesperson added.
Authorities have not publicly disclosed the precise focus of the investigation, what evidence investigators are seeking, or whether any criminal charges have been filed.
Fox News reported the searches Wednesday morning and named Lucas as a possible target, citing federal law enforcement sources familiar with the matter who described the activity as tied to a major corruption investigation. An updated report noted “multiple arrests” at the scene, though it did not specify who may have been taken into custody.
The outlet also briefly interviewed Lucas at the scene, where she said “I don’t know what’s going on” when asked for comment.
Lucas, who is the chair of the state Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, is one of the most powerful Democrats in Virginia politics. As president pro tempore of the Virginia Senate, she is among the chamber’s top-ranking officials.
Virginia House Speaker Don Scott (D) released a statement Wednesday saying that he is “deeply concerned by today’s FBI raid,” adding that “Lucas has not been charged with anything!”
“Given the politicization of this administration — an FBI led by Kash Patel and a Justice Department run by President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney — I think people should take this with a grain of salt and allow the facts to come out before jumping to conclusions,” Scott said.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) declined to issue a full comment on the investigation until more details became available. A spokesperson for the governor said Spanberger “is aware of today’s law enforcement operation.”
In addition to searching Lucas’s office, agents were seen outside an apparent dispensary co-owned by the senator, known as The Cannabis Outlet. According to local media reports, the business opened on July 1, 2021, the same day Virginia law was updated to allow the sharing and gifting of marijuana, while legislation allowing retail sales of the product has remained delayed for several years.
The cannabis store has reportedly faced criticism after an investigation found that some products were allegedly mislabeled or exceeded certain THC limits. The investigation into Lucas had been open since the Biden administration, the New York Times reported Wednesday, citing a source familiar with the matter.
The search warrants were approved by a federal judge before being executed on Wednesday.
The connection between the cannabis dispensary and the broader investigation remains unclear. Officials have not said whether the business itself is a target of the inquiry or whether investigators believe it contains evidence related to the case.
Lucas’s primary business is the Lucas Lodge LLC, a Medicaid waiver services provider. The business has received $6,000 in payments from Lucas’s campaign since 2017, which were covered under “office rental” and travel reimbursements, the Washington Examiner previously reported.
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Neither the FBI nor Lucas’s office provided public comment on the searches.
The development marks a significant escalation involving one of Virginia’s most influential lawmakers, who was a leading driver behind the recent ballot referendum that narrowly passed late last month and would give Democrats a favorable congressional map for the November elections if upheld by the Virginia Supreme Court.
