Fbi Searches Virginia Senate Leader's Office As Part Of Corruption Probe, Ap Source Says

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The FBI searched nan Virginia authorities Senate leader’s agency connected Wednesday arsenic portion of a corruption investigation, a personification acquainted pinch nan matter said. Federal agents besides were seen astatine nan senator’s adjacent cannabis business.

The hunt astatine Virginia Sen. L. Louise Lucas’s territory agency successful Portsmouth comes aft nan Democrat helped lead nan state’s caller redistricting effort.

The FBI said only that it was conducting a court-authorized hunt warrant successful Portsmouth. The personification who confirmed nan FBI’s hunt was not authorized to talk an ongoing investigation by sanction and said to nan Associated Press connected information of anonymity.

Besides nan hunt astatine Lucas’ office, agents successful FBI T-shirts besides went into nan adjacent Cannabis Outlet, which she opened successful 2021. Several entrances to its cannabis shop parking batch were blocked by unmarked vehicles pinch flashing bluish lights.

Lucas — a salient backer of legalizing marijuana — has said nan shop sells ineligible hemp and CBD products. It has drawn scrutiny from section media amid allegations that immoderate products were mislabeled.

Virginia has legalized cookware possession, but unit income of recreational marijuana stay forbidden successful nan state.

A connection seeking remark was near Wednesday connected a cellphone for Lucas, who has been a authorities legislator for 34 years.

State House Speaker Don Scott said he was profoundly concerned by nan FBI search.

“Right now, location is acold much theatrics and speculation than existent accusation disposable to nan public,” Scott, a Democrat, said successful a statement, adding that much facts were needed “before anyone rushes to governmental conclusions.”

Gov. Abigail Spanberger declined to comment. Some different Virginia Democrats were speedy to statement that nan hunt comes arsenic nan FBI and Justice Department person opened a spate of politically charged investigations into perceived adversaries of President Trump.

The discourse “must beryllium acknowledged,” U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott said successful a societal media post.

Last week, nan Justice Department charged erstwhile FBI Director James Comey pinch making a threatening Instagram station against Trump, an accusation that Comey — who for astir a decade has drawn nan president’s ire — has denied. A abstracted owe fraud case, yet dismissed by a court, targeted Democratic New York Atty. Gen. Letitia James, who had brought a awesome civilian fraud suit against Trump and his business.

The FBI and Justice Department person besides provoked concerns among Democrats astir ongoing election-related investigations, including nan seizure by agents of ballots and different accusation from Fulton County, Ga.

Lucas has been a vocal leader of Virginia’s redistricting effort, which voters approved past month. A motion urging group to “vote yes” to “stop nan MAGA powerfulness grab” still hung Wednesday connected a obstruction separating her office’s parking batch from nan parking for nan cannabis shop.

Amid a national, state-by-state partisan redistricting conflict kicked disconnected by Trump’s desire to assistance his chap Republicans, Virginia voters OK’d a Democrat-backed law amendment authorizing caller U.S. House districts. The scheme could thief nan statement triumph up to 4 further seats.

“We are not going to fto anyone tilt nan strategy without a response,” Lucas said aft nan vote. Trump, meanwhile, denounced nan results.

The authorities Supreme Court fto nan referendum proceed but has yet to norm whether nan effort is legal. The tribunal is considering an entreaty of a lower-court judge’s ruling that nan amendment is invalid because lawmakers violated procedural requirements.

Voting districts typically are redrawn erstwhile a decade, aft each census. But Trump past twelvemonth urged Texas Republicans to redraw House districts to springiness nan GOP an separator successful nan midterms. California Democrats reciprocated, and redistricting efforts soon cascaded crossed states.

Lucas, 82, has been a fig successful Virginia authorities since nan 1980s, erstwhile she became nan first Black female elected to a City Council spot successful her autochthonal Portsmouth. She now is nan first female and first African American to service arsenic nan body’s president pro tempore.

Earlier successful life, she was nan Norfolk Naval Shipyard’s first female shipfitter, according to her curriculum vitae successful nan authorities library. The occupation entails making, installing and repairing sometimes tremendous metallic assemblies for vessels.

In caller years, she has been nan main executive of a Portsmouth business that runs residences, time programs and proscription for intellectually abnormal adults.

Tucker, Breed and Peltz constitute for nan Associated Press. AP writers Dylan Lovan successful Louisville, Ky.; Jake Offenhartz successful New York; and Claudia Lauder successful Philadelphia contributed to this report.