Federal authorities announced on October 22 the arrest of Virginia state Sen. Louise Lucas and six others in connection with a multi-year bribery and racketeering investigation involving illegal marijuana distribution and money laundering. The indictment, filed on October 14 in the Eastern District of Virginia, charges Lucas and her co-defendants—two of her daughters and her grandson among them—with conspiring to distribute and possess marijuana, conspiracy to launder money, money laundering, and engaging in bribery tied to their operation of a legal medical cannabis business.

The arrests follow an FBI search of Lucas’ office and a cannabis retail business she co-owns in Portsmouth, Virginia, which took place on May 6 as part of an ongoing corruption probe. U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that Lucas allegedly orchestrated the receipt and distribution of marijuana, supervised laundering of illicit proceeds, leveraged her political position to solicit and accept bribes, and sought to influence state legislation to personally benefit herself and her family. Blanche characterized the charges as reflecting a betrayal of public trust by an elected official prioritizing personal financial gain over the interests of constituents.

Lucas, 82, has served in the Virginia state senate since 1992 and holds the position of president pro tempore. She is a senior figure in the state’s Democratic Party and participated prominently in recent redistricting efforts aimed at increasing Democratic representation in Congress ahead of the midterm elections. In response to the indictment, Lucas posted a statement on the social media platform X, asserting her intention to fight the charges and invoking her lifelong opposition to oppression, referencing her experience growing up under Jim Crow laws. She declared she would not be intimidated or bullied.

FBI Director Kash Patel criticized Lucas for allegedly exploiting her legislative role to shield her criminal activities, calling it “the epitome of hypocrisy for a public official.” When questioned about the origins of the investigation, Attorney General Blanche indicated it had been ongoing for several years and was not initiated by the Trump administration.

All seven defendants are currently in federal custody. It was not immediately clear whether Lucas had retained legal representation to respond to the allegations.