NORFOLK, Va. — Virginia Sen. Louise Lucas was out of federal custody Thursday afternoon after making her initial appearance in a federal courtroom in Norfolk facing multiple charges.
Thursday morning, a federal indictment was announced against Lucas and six other people, including some of her family members.
The day before, she was at the State Capitol in Richmond for a hearing on nursing homes. How the indictment impacts her work as senator remained to be seen Thursday, but in a post on X she made clear she is not going down without a fight.
https://t.co/hKT5NbUXpa
— L. Louise Lucas (@SenLouiseLucas) October 22, 2026
“I will not be intimidated. I will not be bullied. And I will not back down,” she said in the post.
Among the eight charges she was facing was racketeering. She and the six others indicted are accused of being part of what the government says is a criminal organization the government is called the Lucas Enterprise.
Legal expert Sonny Stallings said racketeering is a complicated charge to deal with.
Watch: Virginia state Sen. L. Louise Lucas accused of leading a marijuana criminal conspiracy
"You can throw a lot of darts at one individual under this charge. That's one way to put it. That's why they've gone this way. They'd just not soon put one charge of selling drugs or one charge of bribery. They're going to d everything they can in this," Stallings explained. “Some of the things they allege they don’t have to prove. But, if they prove some of the things in the racketeering charge then they’re winning. So they don’t have to prove it all to get the conviction.”
Virginia Senate Majority Leader, Scott Surovell, released a statement Thursday. He called the indictment politically motivated, saying in part, "The Department of Justice is led by the President’s former personal attorney, and this prosecution is being brought by the most corrupt administration in American history.”
Watch: State Sen. L. Louise Lucas' business office raided by FBI in corruption probe
In a statement in response to the indictment, Virginia Speaker of the House, Del. Don Scott, said Lucas is entitled to due process. He also calls out the Trump Administration, saying "The Trump administration’s weaponization of the justice system is deeply troubling — as are the allegations made in this indictment.”
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger says the indictment hurts Americans' trust in the Department of Justice.
I have read the charging document alleging a series of criminal acts by a member of the Virginia Senate. In our American system of justice, people are presumed innocent until proven guilty, and that is true for Senator L. Louise Lucas. She and her family deserve the opportunity to present their defense and speak to the allegations presented.The timing of this indictment undermines the U.S. Department of Justice’s previously longstanding policy of not taking legal actions — to include indictments or significant investigative steps — close to an election and sadly, this timing further erodes the trust the American people deserve to have in the Department of Justice.
— Governor Abigail Spanberger (@GovernorVA) October 22, 2026
Virginia Lt. Gov. Gazala Hashmi said in a statement the charges warrant a "thourough and nonpartisan investigation. The statement goes on to say "The Trump Department of Justice owes transparency and clarity to the American people and especially to residents of the Commonwealth."
From the other side of the political aisle, the Virginia House GOP said in a statement "The charges against Senator Lucas are serious, and go beyond the world of politics. They will be resolved via our judicial system, as they should."
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