FBI searches Virginia Senate leader’s office as part of corruption probe, AP source says

By ERIC TUCKER and JENNIFER PELTZ
Updated 11:22 AM CDT, May 6, 2026

The FBI searched the office of Virginia state Senate and President pro tempore Louise Lucas, 82, D-Portsmouth in Richmond, Va. on Wednesday as part of a corruption investigation, a person familiar with the matter said.

The search at Virginia Sen. L. Louise Lucas’s district office in Portsmouth comes after the Democrat helped lead the state’s [now court ended/cancelled] recent redistricting effort.

The FBI said only that it was conducting a court-authorized search warrant in Portsmouth. The person who confirmed the FBI’s search was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation by name and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

A message seeking comment was left on a cellphone for Lucas.

Amid a national, state-by-state partisan redistricting fight, Virginia voters approved a constitutional amendment on April 21 authorizing new U.S. House districts. Backed by Democrats, the plan could help the party win up to four additional seats.

Lucas has been a vocal leader of the effort.

The state Supreme Court let the referendum proceed but has yet to rule whether the effort is legal. The court is considering an appeal of a lower court judge’s ruling that the amendment is invalid because lawmakers violated procedural requirements.

[Virginia Senate President pro tempore Louise Lucas is also the co-owner of the "Cannabis Outlet" marijuana head shop next door to her official state offices that was also raided by the FBI in the same action.

The raid is part of a broader corruption investigation involving Lucas, who has been a vocal advocate for marijuana legalization in Virginia. There are allegations stemming from prior findings that the dispensary was selling products that may not have been compliant with state laws regarding cannabis, this however, is not likely the sole focus of the warrant and investigation.]