One of Virginia’s top Democratic power brokers and longtime state senator denounced an FBI raid on her Portsmouth office and cannabis business as an attempt to intimidate critics of the Trump administration.
State Sen. L. Louise Lucas, the Virginia Senate’s president pro tempore and a key architect of April’s successful referendum to redraw congressional maps in Democrats’ favor, tied the searches directly to her political work.
“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. 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 said in a statement late Wednesday.
She continued:
Just two weeks ago, Virginians sent a powerful message when they voted to stop Trump’s scheme to manipulate the 2026 midterm elections. Voters across this Commonwealth made clear that power belongs with the people, not with politicians who try to take power away from them.
I was proud to help lead that effort and I have never been afraid to stand up to Donald Trump or anyone else that has tried to undermine our democracy.
Federal agents executed court-authorized search warrants Wednesday morning at Lucas’s legislative office in Portsmouth, the neighboring Cannabis Outlet she co-owns, and other properties linked to her businesses. No arrests were announced, and Lucas was not taken into custody.
Lucas co-sponsored Virginia’s 2021 decriminalization law and opened the dispensary in Portsmouth later that same year.
The FBI confirmed it was carrying out a court-authorized federal search warrant in Portsmouth as part of an ongoing investigation but declined to name a target or provide details. Sources familiar with the probe told multiple outlets it centers on possible corruption and bribery involving marijuana-related businesses; the inquiry began during the Biden administration.
Lucas, 82, has represented Portsmouth in the Virginia Senate since 1992 and currently serves as president pro tempore, one of the chamber’s most powerful positions. She previously chaired the Senate Finance and Appropriations committees.
The FBI probe isn’t Lucas’s first brush with legal controversy.
A company she owns in addition to Cannabis Outlet is Lucas Lodge LLC, which operates Medicaid-funded group homes for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The decades-old facilities have a history of repeated state citations for safety, health, and regulatory violations.
In June 2020, she participated in a protest in Portsmouth during which demonstrators damaged a Confederate monument. Part of the statue fell on protester Chris Green, who suffered serious injuries, including a fractured skull that required multiple surgeries and months of recovery.
Portsmouth police charged Lucas and other local leaders with felony property damage and conspiracy. Bodycam footage captured Lucas at the scene discussing the protest with then-Police Chief Angela Greene. The charges were dismissed in November 2020 after the Portsmouth Commonwealth’s Attorney argued that officers’ failure to intervene had implicitly suggested the actions were lawful.
At the time, Lucas patroned Senate Bill 5043, which would have automatically expunged records for dozens of felonies — including the exact charge she faced. Critics called the legislation a potential “insurance policy” for her case. The bill did not advance.
Lucas later sued the former police chief and investigator; the city settled the lawsuit for $300,000.
No charges have been filed in the current federal investigation as of press time. Virginia Democratic leaders, including Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s office, questioned the timing of the raids and suggested political motivation while calling for due process.
“I will have more to say in the days ahead, but know this: I am not backing down, and I will keep fighting for the people of Portsmouth and the Commonwealth of Virginia,” Lucas wrote.
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Christina Botteri is the Executive Editor of The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow her on X at @christinakb.
Photo “State Sen. Louise Lucas” and “Lucas Statement” by State Sen. Louise Lucas
