RICHMOND, Va. — State Sen. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) took part in a commission hearing Thursday, roughly 24 hours after federal authorities executed a search warrant on properties belonging to her in Portsmouth.
Sources tell the New York Times the search is connected to a corruption and bribery investigation that began in the Biden administration. No charges against Lucas have been announced.
Lucas attended a meeting of the Joint Commission on Health Care virtually, but did not have her camera turned on and only said a few words at the beginning.
"Senator Favola. This is Louise Lucas. You did not recognize that I am on," Lucas said.
In a statement released on social media Wednesday night, Lucas took aim at the current Trump administration, saying in part:
"What we saw today fits a clear pattern from this administration: when challenged, they try to intimidate and silence the voices who stand up to them."
She also highlighted her efforts leading redistricting changes in Virginia as a way to fight back against Trump. Lucas added she would have more to say in the coming days.
State Sen. Lamont Bagby (D-Henrico), who also chairs the Democratic Party of Virginia, said he has spoken with Lucas and that she is in good spirits.
"We have a great deal of confidence in the team that's around her and we look forward to the facts coming out," Bagby said.
When asked whether he believed the search was politically motivated, Bagby did not hold back.
"It's not my decision to say one way or another. I think there's a number of individuals — no," Bagby said before pausing. "Hell yes, politically motivated. Like, what kind of game are we playing? Yes, it's politically motivated. We know that -- end of story."
"The way that they are weaponizing institutions, law enforcement is disgraceful."
Republican Delegate Wren Williams, a defense attorney, rejected that characterization and pointed to reporting that the investigation began under the Biden administration.
"It started under the Biden administration, so I guess the Biden administration was kicking off the political hit job. It seems that the Biden administration actually was doing a lot of the covering up potentially, and it was the attorney general's office and the Trump administration, who ultimately finished up on the investigation," said Williams. "I think it was just a timing thing. I don't think it was like Trump called somebody and said, 'Go, go raid -- FBI, go raid Senator Lucas's offices out of retaliation.' I just don't think that that was on his mind."
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche also denied the search was politically motivated.
"It is simply not true. It is absolutely not true," Blanche said.
Blanche said his office indicts thousands of people each year regardless of politics. When asked specifically about Lucas' case, he declined to go into detail.
"It would not be fair to anybody involved for me to comment beyond that. This was a law enforcement operation during the course of a criminal investigation," Blanche said.
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