FBI raids Virginia Senate Leader Louise Lucas' office
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The influential state Democrat has become known for trolling Republicans and Democrats online. Photo: Mike Kropf-Pool/Getty Images
The FBI searched the Portsmouth office of Virginia Senate President pro tempore Louise Lucas on Wednesday.
Why it matters: The raid puts one of the state's most powerful lawmakers — who emerged nationally as a Democratic power broker during Virginia's redistricting fight — at the center of a federal investigation.
Driving the news: The FBI confirmed to Axios that agents were "executing a court-authorized federal search warrant in Portsmouth" as part of an "ongoing investigation," but declined to provide additional details.
- Federal agents also searched a neighboring cannabis dispensary that Lucas co-owns, called The Cannabis Outlet, according to the AP, Fox News and the New York Times.
- Several outlets are reporting that the investigation began during the Biden administration, and that it involves allegations of corruption.
What they're saying: Lucas didn't respond to Axios' request for comment but later released a statement Wednesday night casting the searches as political retaliation by the Trump administration.
- "I will have more to say in the days ahead, but know this: I am not backing down," she wrote.
- Gov. Abigail Spanberger is aware of the operation, but without more details, will not be commenting further, a spokesperson told Axios.
- Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones wrote, "we simply do not have sufficient information" about the searches and cautioned against rushing to conclusions.
Some Democratic lawmakers are raising questions about the motive behind the raid, including Virginia House Speaker Don Scott, who said he was "deeply concerned" by it.
Zoom out: Lucas, 82, has spent over three decades in the Virginia Senate, building a reputation as a hardball Democrat and using her perch atop the Senate finance committee to shape budgets, kill legislation and publicly pressure lawmakers.
- She's become an online celebrity in recent years due to her profanity-laced memes and political trash talk aimed at Republicans and fellow Democrats.
- But the virality skyrocketed throughout Virginia's redistricting battle, when she regularly taunted Republicans and President Trump.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.