FBI raids Virginia state Sen. L. Louise Lucas’ Richmond office

On Wednesday, the FBI raided the office of a Democratic state lawmaker with a history of financial and ethical controversies.

Virginia state Sen. L. Louise Lucas has faced controversy over her more than four decades in politics, from her handling of campaign funds to the way she ran her marijuana dispensary. Federal authorities have been investigating Lucas on suspicion of corruption and illegal marijuana sales for years, starting with the Biden administration, sources familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital.

Lucas’ office did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital on Wednesday.

The raid followed years of scrutiny into Lucas’ political behavior, business dealings and public conduct.

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‘Crazy Hoes’

Lucas has been a central figure in the state’s redistricting fight and is considered the driving force behind Virginia’s new map, which voters narrowly approved but is currently held up in court.

When Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, harshly criticized Virginia Democrats for what he and others described as an effort to hijack the state largely for political ends, Lucas offered a disrespectful response that said Republicans were “finishing the f*ck” off what he had started at the federal level.

He also posted various memes and GIFs on social media condemning former Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Virginia Republicans like Rep. Jennifer Kiggans of Virginia Beach, and featured backing tracks like Famous Dex’s “Hoes Mad.”

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Virginia Senate President Pro Tempore L. Louise Lucas responded to Sen. Ted Cruz’s criticism of Virginia’s redistricting efforts: “You all started it and we finished it.” (Minh Connors/The Washington Post/Nathan Posner/Anadolu/Getty Images)

One such post included an artificially rendered image of Kiggans and Reps. Ben Cline, Rob Wittman and John McGuire wearing McDonald’s uniforms, while a dig at Kiggans had the caption “you want fries with this.”

Wittman appeared to be removed from the gavel of the House Armed Services Committee, where he considered himself chairman-in-waiting.

Another meme showed a red-eyed Lucas leaving next to a U-Haul truck at the governor’s mansion while Youngkin was in office.

“He completely controls what’s going on in Virginia right now,” one Republican strategist, commenting on the fiery tone of the redistricting referendum, told CNN.

throw dice

During Lucas’s tenure as the top Democrat on the Virginia Senate’s Finance and Appropriations Committee, pushed for expansion of casinos in the Commonwealth. Because of his position on the committee, the senator has significant authority over whether casino projects should move forward.

Trusted to help regulate gambling, Lucas pocketed hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations from major players in the gaming industry.

For example, Lucas, reportedly He played a key role in advancing an $11 billion casino project developed by Comstock Holdings in Northern Virginia. Comstock Holdings and its top executives are some of Lucas’ biggest donors.

In November 2023, Comstock CEO Christopher Clemente made a cut. $100,000 campaign voucher To Lucas, according to campaign finance records. Comstock himself donated Additional $100,000 to Lucas between August 2024 and December 2025.

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Virginia state Senator Louise L. Lucas works at the statehouse on February 20, 2019 in Richmond, Virginia. (Bill O’Leary/Washington Post via Getty Images)

Rivers Casino Portsmouth owned by Lucas he boasted many times in helping establish it, has poured tens of thousands of dollars into his campaign account since its inauguration in 2023. Lucas also agreed $165,000 From the Pace-O-Matic company and its executives as they try to legalize the slot machines the company produces.

text messages achieved Writing by the Virginia Mercury in June 2024 indicates that local officials viewed Lucas as a key power broker in approving gambling projects.

‘Did I mention my store is on the High Street?’

Lucas’ pot shop was also subject to an inspection. journalistic investigationConsidering that Virginia still prohibits most forms of marijuana.

According to the commonwealth’s cannabis regulatory agency, medical marijuana is legal to possess in a private residence, as well as in public possession of up to 1 oz.

The sale of “adult-use” marijuana and transient shops is illegal, as is driving under the influence of the drug or carpooling it.

State Senator Louise Lucas celebrates her victory for the 18th District State Senate Democratic nomination at the Bide-A-Wee golf course in Portsmouth, Virginia. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot/Tribune News Service/Getty Images)

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However, the pot shop co-owned by Lucas and located next to the senate office in Portsmouth has long been under scrutiny.

An investigation in the Virginia Mercury showed that some bars labeled “Lucky Charms” contained the substance Delta-9 THC; This was said to conflict with Virginia’s ban on sales but allowing small-scale goods.

Lucas advertised her shop on [retweet]”

He followed this up with a GIF of former President Barack Obama dropping the microphone and saying, “Did I mention my store is on High Street in Portsmouth?” He followed it up with a message saying:

The Virginia Mercury’s investigation found “widespread mislabeling” among dealers across the state, and the professor said the findings from Lucas’ store were consistent with a total of 66 samples collected statewide.

‘You can’t arrest them’

So was Lucas accused of inciting unrest during the George Floyd protest in his hometown of Portsmouth.

Lucas and several protesters were charged with conspiracy to commit felony and injury to a monument exceeding $1,000, following a protest at a Confederate monument in June 2020.

Protesters tore off the heads of some statues at the monument, and at one point a statue toppled to the ground, causing serious injury to a protester, according to the Associated Press.

Lucas’ charges were eventually dropped, but he had also called for Portsmouth Police Chief Angela Greene to resign amid the situation. Greene later said she was fired after framing the situation as a conspiracy in which people lured hundreds of people to the site to commit “serious crimes” and that she would sue over her termination.

Virginia Senate leaders Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, and Scott Surovell, D-Mount Vernon, speak in Richmond. (Minh Connors/Getty Images)

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An account from the AP said Lucas told officers responding to the unrest, “They’re going to put some paint on this thing and you can’t arrest them… [they’re] I’m going to do this and you won’t be able to stop them. They have rights. To continue.”

When police warned Lucas not to instruct protesters to commit vandalism, Lucas denied: “I’m not telling them to do anything, I’m telling you [that] You can’t arrest them.”

Religion, politics and the Benjamins

Lucas, who is black, regularly uses his donors’ money bankroll Historically black churches in and around the Senate district. These churches, in turn, are working to support both Lucas and the Virginia Democratic Party more broadly.

Second Calvary Baptist Church, accepted Between March 2023 and April 2024, Lucas’ campaign received approximately $30,000 in sponsorship payments. In 2025, the church did its best to support Democrats during state elections.

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A Virginia mother and former public school teacher said she was relieved her child was attending a private school after a lawmaker introduced a diversity, equity and inclusion curriculum in the Virginia legislature. (Getty Images)

“Rest assured, I will tell our congregation to vote for you,” the church’s lead pastor told Democratic Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones in a video shot in November 2025.

The church also held a campaign event for then-Representatives. He approved Abigail Spanberger and her bid for the governor’s mansion.

New Mount Olivet Baptist Church, where Lucas serves as pastor, has received close to $15,000 from his campaign account since 2021. The church helped Lucas’ daughter’s political career and encouraged its members to support the Democratic Party.

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Pastors of the Third Baptist Church in Portsmouth and the New Community Temple, which received thousands from Lucas through his campaign account, pressured congregants to vote Democratic.

77% of adults survey was conducted It was stated by the Pew Research Center that churches have negative feelings about supporting political candidates in 2022.