SouthernWorldwide.com – The FBI has conducted a search of the office of veteran Virginia state Senator L. Louise Lucas in Portsmouth, Virginia, as confirmed by a spokesperson for the bureau to CBS News.
Senator Lucas played a significant role in advancing a new congressional map through the Virginia legislature. This map is designed to create four additional congressional districts that lean Democratic.
The proposed map was approved by voters in a referendum held in April. However, its implementation is currently paused as the Virginia Supreme Court reviews the legality of the new redistricting plan.
Sources familiar with the matter indicate that investigators are examining an alleged bribery scheme. This investigation is reportedly connected to the cannabis dispensary business.
Read more: Cruise ship hantavirus outbreak: 3 dead, 3 sick
The FBI spokesperson also confirmed that a cannabis dispensary co-owned by Senator Lucas was also subject to a search by federal law enforcement officials.
At this time, there has been no public statement detailing the specific focus of the investigation or the precise reasons for the court-authorized law enforcement activity. A source with knowledge of the situation mentioned that the investigation commenced during the Biden administration.
The law enforcement action was initially reported by Fox News. Senator Lucas reportedly told Fox News that she was unaware of the reason for the FBI agents’ presence at her office.
CBS News has made multiple attempts to contact Senator Lucas for comment, but she has not responded. Her office also did not immediately reply to a request for a statement.
Lucas, who is 82 years old, was first elected to the Virginia General Assembly in 1991. She currently holds the position of Senate president pro tempore.
Earlier this year, while instrumental in leading the Democratic redistricting plan, Lucas used social media to express defiance towards Republicans, President Trump, and even the Democratic U.S. senators from her state.
Following the measure’s passage, she posted on social media, “You all started it and we f***ing finished it.” This statement was a reference to Mr. Trump’s earlier efforts to redraw Texas’ congressional map, which ignited the broader redistricting conflict between the two major political parties.
Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Don Scott, a Democrat, issued a statement on Wednesday. He noted that Senator Lucas “has not been charged with anything.” Scott added, “at this point we simply do not know what this ultimately means.”
Scott also expressed his strong concerns regarding the FBI raid. He remarked, “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.”
