A Virginia Democratic lawmaker has disclosed that the FBI monitored his phone calls as part of a federal corruption investigation currently underway in the state.
The revelation adds a significant new dimension to a probe that has already drawn considerable public attention in recent weeks across Virginia and Washington.
FBI agents searched the office of Virginia Senate President Pro Tempore L. Louise Lucas, a prominent Democratic state senator, as part of the investigation.
Federal agents also searched a cannabis shop neighboring Lucas’s office, broadening the scope of what authorities are examining in the case.
Two people familiar with the matter told the Associated Press that the searches were connected to a formal federal corruption investigation targeting Lucas.
The investigation into Democratic Sen. L. Louise Lucas was opened during the administration of Democratic former President Joe Biden, according to one of those people.
Lucas has served as one of the most powerful figures in Virginia’s Democratic political establishment, making the probe a significant development for the state party.
The disclosure that phone calls were monitored suggests federal investigators have been conducting surveillance as part of a broader effort to build their case.
Corruption investigations of this nature involving sitting state legislators are relatively rare and tend to attract intense scrutiny from both the public and fellow lawmakers.
The investigation is unfolding at a politically sensitive moment for Virginia Democrats, who have faced mounting pressure heading into the state’s legislative session.
No charges have been publicly announced in connection with the probe, and it remains unclear how far federal investigators have advanced in their case.
The emergence of FBI surveillance details is likely to intensify calls from Virginia Republicans for greater transparency around the investigation and its origins.
