State Sen. L. Louise Lucas’ business was seen being raided on Wednesday in Portsmouth, and video captured by News 3 reporter Brendan Ponton showed Lucas later being driven away from the scene in a car.
The FBI said it was executing a court-authorized federal search warrant in Portsmouth, but did not directly mention Lucas in its statement.
Lucas, 82, is a Democrat who represents District 18 in the Virginia State Senate, which covers parts of Chesapeake and Portsmouth. A Portsmouth native, she first won election to the chamber in 1991 and now serves as president pro tempore of the Virginia State Senate and chair of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee.
The raid puts the focus on one of the most powerful figures in Virginia politics, even as the federal agency has said only that it was carrying out a warrant. For now, the key question is what the search was seeking and whether Lucas becomes part of a wider federal inquiry.
