FBI raids Virginia state Sen. Louise Lucas' office and The Cannabis Outlet in Portsmouth

PORTSMOUTH, Va. - The FBI raided Virginia state Sen. Louise Lucas' office and The Cannabis Outlet in Portsmouth on Wednesday morning.

FBI agents in military fatigues gathered in the parking lot outside The Cannabis Outlet, which Lucas has a business interest in, as onlookers crowded across the street. Numerous unmarked vehicles including an armored personnel carrier and multiple vans were in the parking lot outside. Agents could be seen going in and out of the nearby building at 1214 County St., which serves as the office for the Democratic senator's business, Lucas Lodge LLC, and her political headquarters.

Lucas is a powerful member of the state Senate and chair of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee. The scope of the investigation, or its goal, is unclear.

An FBI spokesperson would only confirm it was "executing a court-authorized federal search warrant in Portsmouth, Va." Federal authorities have indicated that the warrants filed to authorize the searches are sealed.

Lucas could not be reached Wednesday.

A man who identified himself as Lucas' grandson and a cashier at The Cannabis Outlet said the FBI "ran in there" while he was working and told him to leave. The man, who declined to provide his name, said Lucas was on the scene Wednesday morning.

State Corporation Commission business records list Lucas as the applicant for The Cannabis Outlet in Portsmouth, however the current status of the business was listed as inactive.

The cashier said he spoke to a group of FBI agents, both in fatigues and traditional FBI jackets, but said they didn't explain what the raid was about. He said he didn't see them removing anything from the building. He identified another man talking to FBI agents Wednesday morning as the store's security guard.

He said he expects the store to be open Thursday.

In recent months, Lucas was at the center of the state's redistricting fight, where she was a staunch supporter of a map that favored Democrats in 10 out of Virginia's 11 congressional districts. That version of the proposed maps ultimately won out over more moderate proposals.

Prominent Democrats came to her defense Wednesday, questioning whether the raids were political retribution for her role in the redistricting fight.

"Lets start with this: Senator L. Louise Lucas has not been charged with anything!" said Virginia House Speaker Don Scott, also a Democrat from Portsmouth. "I am deeply concerned by today's FBI raid. Given the politicization of this administration - an FBI led by Kash Patel and a Justice Department run by President Donald Trump's former personal attorney - I think people should take this with a grain of salt and allow the facts to come out before jumping to conclusions."

U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott tied the raid to the redistricting fight, saying the FBI investigation occurs in the broader context of Trump wielding the power of the Department of Justice to target his political opponents, such as New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey.

"It should be noted that this is occurring just two weeks after Senator Lucas helped lead the successful effort by Virginia voters to reject President Trump's attempt to rig the midterm elections," Scott said.

And, in recent weeks Lucas has been digging in her heels on budget negotiations. The heart of the issue is whether data centers should be obligated to pay the state's 4.3% sales and use tax, which could generate more than $1 billion in revenue.

"In the House, we are awaiting some communication from the Senate to let us know that we are ready to sit down do our side-by-sides on the budget," House Appropriations Chair Luke Torian, D-Prince William, told reporters last month.

Lucas said that the data center industry had come up with a proposal that would result in $1.1 billion over the biennium, but that wasn't good enough.

"There's not going to be a cap," she said last month. "I want this to be perpetual and ongoing."

House leadership and Gov. Abigail Spanberger have been more skeptical on ending existing agreements with data centers.

Lucas also emerged victorious in a public spat with former Gov. Glenn Youngkin on whether to build a professional sports complex in Northern Virginia. The senator was instrumental in killing the proposal in the 2024 budget process.

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