Federal agents on Wednesday morning raided the Portsmouth office of state Sen. Louise Lucas, one of Virginia’s most powerful Democratic lawmakers, a representative of the Federal Bureau of Investigations confirmed Wednesday, after multiple news outlets reported an extensive law enforcement operation that included FBI agents, SWAT teams and court-authorized searches tied to several locations across the commonwealth.
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Fox News, who was first to report the news, said the FBI executed search warrants at several sites, including Lucas’ legislative office in Portsmouth. Staffers inside the building were ordered outside and were not allowed to re-enter as agents searched the premises. Witnesses saw federal agents carrying boxes out of the building.
Adjacent to Lucas’ office is The Cannabis Outlet, a hemp- and cannabis related retail business linked to the longtime state senator. Fox News reported that SWAT teams arrived there with weapons drawn and ordered everyone inside to exit the building with their hands up. At least three people were reportedly placed in handcuffs and taken into custody.
Lucas arrived at the scene shortly after the raid began. When asked by a reporter what the federal action was about, she replied that she had no idea.
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The scope of the investigation sent shockwaves through Virginia political circles because of Lucas’ outsized role in state government and Democratic politics.
U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Newport News, whose district includes Portsmouth, was among the first elected officials to publicly respond to the raid, arguing the federal action comes amid what he described as Trump’s attacks on political opponents.
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Lucas, 82, has served in the Virginia Senate since 1992 and currently serves as the chamber’s president pro tempore, making her one of the highest ranking members of the General Assembly. A Democrat from Portsmouth, she has long been one of the legislature’s most influential and combative political figures, particularly on budget and fiscal matters.
She also chairs the powerful Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, placing her at the center of this year’s contentious intraparty budget negotiations.
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Beyond her legislative work, Lucas has also faced scrutiny tied to Virginia’s evolving cannabis laws. Virginia legalized simple possession of marijuana in 2021 through legislation Lucas co-sponsored.
But a 2022 Virginia Mercury investigation found that cannabis-related products sold at The Cannabis Outlet contained levels of THC inconsistent with labeling and were being sold in a largely unregulated retail environment that existed before Virginia established a legal recreational cannabis marketplace.
At the time, laboratory testing commissioned by The Mercury found some products sold at the store exceeded advertised THC concentrations. The story put a spotlight on concerns about Virginia’s loosely regulated hemp and cannabis market following legalization of marijuana possession but before creation of a fully regulated retail sales system, which is now before Spanberger.
As of Wednesday afternoon, federal authorities had not publicly indicated whether the raids were connected to Lucas’ cannabis business, her legislative activities or another matter entirely.
The post FBI Raids Sen. Louise Lucas’ Portsmouth Office, Cannabis Business appeared first on American Renaissance.
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