Virginia state Sen. L. Louise Lucas charged with public corruption

Virginia state Sen. L. Louise Lucas (D) was charged and brought into custody Thursday, according to an unsealed indictment from the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The DOJ alleges Lucas and her family members engaged in a racketeering conspiracy related to a family marijuana business. The indictment says Lucas obtained large quantities of illegal marijuana, sold it and used the proceeds from the sale to purchase more illegal marijuana. Lucas is also accused of using her political influence for her own benefit.

Lucas shared a statement to the social platform X Thursday, saying she “will not back down” against the DOJ’s charges.

“I grew up under Jim Crow. I’ve seen what happens when people in power try to silence those who stand up to them,” Lucas wrote. “I will not be intimidated. I will not be bullied. And I will not back down.”

Recreational marijuana is legal to possess in Virginia, but a legal recreational marijuana market does not begin under Virginia law until July 2027. The DOJ accused Lucas of attempting to influence the legislation for her own financial gain.

At a Thursday morning press conference, Attorney General Todd Blanche said Lucas “violated the trust” of her constituents.

“The charges listed in the indictment reflect the alleged behavior of a public servant who put her own financial interests before the people she was elected to serve,” Blanche said. “Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, an elected official or an everyday citizen, nobody is above the law.”

Lucas, the president pro tempore of the Virginia Senate, is a major fixture in Virginia Democratic politics. She was a major proponent of the mid-decade redistricting Virginia Democrats pushed in response to Republican efforts in other states, but the Virginia Supreme Court struck down the voter-approved map.

In May, federal authorities raided Lucas’s office in Portsmouth, Va., as well as a nearby dispensary she owned.

While Lucas is not up for election, the DOJ typically does not bring charges against political figures this close to an election. Blanche defended accusations that the indictment was for political purposes, pointing out that the investigation began in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia before President Trump returned to office.

“This is a long-running case, as alleged in the indictment,” Blanche said. “People can criticize all they want, but it was time to bring the charges. The grand jury returned an indictment, and we made the arrests.”

Lucas’s initial court appearance is scheduled for Thursday afternoon in Norfolk, Va.

Lucas, 82, has not been quiet about her support for legalized recreational marijuana, or the fact that she owns a cannabis store in Virginia.

The indictment cites some of Lucas’s “overt acts,” including a social media post from January 2022.

“I’m a 78 year grandma who legalized pot and now has her own cannabis store. And I’m the last thing standing between The GOP and total control of Virginia. That’s worth an RT!” Lucas wrote.

The DOJ includes a series of checks proving payment and text messages in which members of the “Lucas Enterprise” communicate about marijuana sales. The indictment also alleges that Lucas paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for a 100 percent stake in a shell company in 2022 and expected a Virginia recreational marijuana license in return.

It is not clear how Lucas would have been able to obtain a recreational marijuana license at the time because Virginia did not pass a legal framework for commercial sales until 2026.

Blanche was asked about the discrepancy at the press conference Thursday but said he would not give information beyond what was in the indictment.

“According to the allegations in the indictment and some of the statements that were made by the co-conspirators allegedly, it ultimately is inconsistent with what the law ultimately ended up being or was at the time,” Blanche said.