Federal officials raided the Portsmouth office of Virginia Senator L. Louise Lucas as part of a corruption investigation, according to The Associated Press.
Lucas, a Democrat and Senate President Pro Tempore in the Virginia General Assembly, has long been an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump and was an architect in Virginia's efforts to redraw its Congressional districts. Backed by Democrats, the plan could help the party win up to four additional seats. Voters approved the newly redrawn maps in a referendum last month, although they are currently being challenged before the Virginia Supreme Court.
A spokesperson for the FBI gave the following statement to 13News Now: "The FBI is executing a court-authorized federal search warrant in Portsmouth, VA. There is no threat to public safety. This is an ongoing investigation, and no further information is publicly available at this time."
The office is also located next door to a cannabis store that is co-owned by Lucas. It's not clear if that is also part of the investigation, but federal investigators were seen going in and out of the building. There are no additional details at this time about the circumstances behind Wednesday's raid at Lucas' office.
