Virginia state Sen. L. Louise Lucas has been charged in a federal indictment with leading an alleged marijuana racketeering conspiracy that included family members of the powerful Democrat , according to court documents made public on Thursday.
Lucas, 82, is a critic of President Donald Trump , and was an architect of ultimately failed efforts in Virginia to redraw the state's congressional map for November to boost chances for Democrats to win those districts.
The criminal case, which also charges members of Lucas' family, was made public by the Department of Justice less than two weeks before the midterm elections. Those contests will determine what political party controls both chambers of Congress.
Lucas, the state Senate's president pro tempore and chairman of the Finance and Appropriations Committee, is not on the ballot this year. She was elected to the Senate in 1991.
The indictment says that Lucas "was the leader of the enterprise," that she "arranged for the acquisition and distribution of marijuana, supervises the laundering of marijuana proceeds," and "used her political influence to attempt to influence Virginia legislation for the benefit of herself and her family and maintained a premise for the distribution of marijuana."
Six other defendants are charged in the alleged scheme, among them Lucas' two daughters and her grandson. One of the daughters, Lisa Lucas-Burke, is running for mayor of Portsmouth.
Lucas is in custody with the other defendants, Attorney General Todd Blanche announced at a press conference Thursday. She is scheduled to appear before a magistrate judge in U.S. District Court in Norfolk, Virginia, at 2:30 p.m. ET Thursday.
"Today, the FBI, the Department of Justice, and the full weight of the federal government have been wielded against an 82-year-old great-grandmother," Lucas said in a statement posted on X.
"I grew up under Jim Crow. I've seen what happens when people in power try to silence those who stand up to them. I spent my life fighting back, and I'm not stopping now," she said. "I will not be intimidated. I will not be bullied. And I will not back down."
Blanche, when asked at the press conference about criticism from Lucas's attorney that the case is politically motivated, said, "We don't do political paybacks."
The attorney general noted that the investigation of Lucas began before the current Trump administration, and that a federal grand jury had determined there was enough evidence to indict her.
"There's decision and processes in place at the department when we're bringing a case against a political official, and the ... first question is: is this investigation proper?" Blanche said. "And the conclusion of that is yes. Is the timing proper? And the conclusion of that is yes."
The indictment was issued by a grand jury on Oct. 14, but was only unsealed Thursday.
The charges come five months after FBI agents executed a search warrant at Lucas' Portsmouth office.
At the time of that May 6 raid, Lucas noted in a statement that it came two weeks after Virginia voters approved the redistricting plan, adding, "Virginians sent a powerful message when they voted to stop Trump's scheme to manipulate the 2026 midterm elections."
"I was proud to help lead that effort and I have never been afraid to stand up to Donald Trump."
