L. Louise Lucas is among the most senior members of the Virginia Senate, serving as the body’s president pro tempore.
PORTSMOUTH, Va. — A Virginia State Senator’s office was the target of a Federal Bureau of Investigation raid on Wednesday morning.
The FBI told CBS News they were “executing a court-authorized federal search warrant in Portsmouth, Va.” shortly after reports surfaced that agents were at the office of Virginia State Sen. L. Louise Lucas. The 82-year-old Democrat, who has been in office since 1992, serves as the Virginia Senate president pro tempore.
Agents were also spotted at a cannabis dispensary that Lucas apparently co-owns near her office.
The Drug Enforcement Administration is assisting the FBI, a source told DC-based TV station WUSA9 on Wednesday.
In a statement, Lucas appeared to lay blame on the President Donald Trump administration for the raids, claiming the president was retaliating for her support of redistricting efforts in the commonwealth.
“What we saw fits a clear pattern from this administration: when challenged, they try to intimidate and silence the voices who stand up to them,” Lucas wrote Wednesday night.
Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s office declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation.
“The governor is aware of today’s law enforcement operation in Portsmouth. In the absence of additional details, the governor will not be commenting on a federal investigation at this time,” her office said in a statement.
Spanberger served as an operations officer in the Central Intelligence Agency before embarking on her career in politics.
Lucas, a Democrat, has long been an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump and was an architect in Virginia’s efforts to redraw its Congressional districts to be more competitive for Democrats.
Voters approved the newly redrawn maps in a referendum last month, although they are currently being challenged before the Virginia Supreme Court.
Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates Don Scott — another Democrat — expressed shock.
“Let’s start with this: Senator L. Louise Lucas has not been charged with anything! I am deeply concerned by today’s FBI raid,” Scott said. “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. At this point, we simply do not know what this ultimately means. Right now, there is far more theatrics and speculation than actual information available to the public.”
Some prominent Virginia Republicans, like State Sen Bryce Reeves, denied allegations of a political hit job.
“I don’t think we’re going to have a budget anytime soon if she’s busy trying to defend herself against the federal government for whatever it is they’re investigating her for,” Reeves said.