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Federal agents searched the office of a prominent Virginia Democratic lawmaker Wednesday as part of a long-running public corruption investigation tied to one of the state’s most influential political figures.
The FBI confirmed that law enforcement activity took place at the Portsmouth office of Virginia state Senate President Pro Tempore L. Louise Lucas, a Democrat who recently helped lead the state’s aggressive congressional redistricting effort aimed at boosting Democratic representation ahead of the midterm elections.
Federal agents also executed a search warrant at The Cannabis Outlet, a nearby business co-owned by Lucas, according to officials and local reports.
The FBI said in a statement that there was “no threat to public safety” and described the matter as an “ongoing investigation,” declining to provide additional details.
A source familiar with the matter said the searches are connected to a public corruption probe that dates back to the Biden administration. A federal law enforcement official said the Drug Enforcement Administration is participating in the investigation, though drugs are not believed to be the primary focus.
Lucas pushed back forcefully Wednesday evening, suggesting the search was politically motivated and tied to her role in Virginia’s redistricting battle.
“Today’s actions by Federal agents are about far more than one state senator; they are about power and who is allowed to use it on behalf of the people,” Lucas wrote in a statement posted to social media. “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.”
She added that she would “keep fighting for the people of Portsmouth and the Commonwealth of Virginia.”
The FBI did not immediately respond to questions about Lucas’ claims.
A spokesperson for Abigail Spanberger said the governor was aware of the operation but declined further comment.
Lucas has emerged as a central figure in Virginia Democrats’ effort to redraw the state’s congressional maps to favor Democratic candidates, part of a broader nationwide redistricting fight that intensified after President Donald Trump urged Republican-led states to adopt new congressional maps.
Virginia voters last month approved a constitutional amendment allowing Democratic lawmakers to pursue a new congressional map that could help Democrats gain additional House seats in the upcoming elections. The legality of the amendment is currently before the Virginia Supreme Court.
Virginia House Speaker Don Scott criticized the federal action Wednesday, saying the investigation should be viewed cautiously given what he described as the politicization of federal law enforcement under the Trump administration.
“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 in a statement.
The searches come just days after former FBI Director James Comey, another frequent Trump critic, was indicted in a separate federal case.
