Blanche Announces Charges Against Virginia Sen. Lucas and Addresses DOJ Role in Elections

Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel announced racketeering, money laundering and drug trafficking charges on Thursday against Virginia state Sen. Louise Lucas, 82, who led Virginia Democrats' redistricting effort earlier this year. Speaking to reporters in Norfolk, Blanche said the Justice Department does not engage in political payback. The indictment alleges Lucas ran a criminal marijuana enterprise, named for her, estimated at $4.5 million. Her daughter, who is also charged, opened a dispensary called The Cannabis Outlet in 2021, on the day Virginia legalized recreational use but not retail sale. Lucas authored the original legalization bill. Also Thursday, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the district of Alaska, saying it aims to protect the integrity of the election and challenging the inclusion of a candidate. On Saturday, Blanche said the suit is not an attempt to stop certification of Alaska's election.

Right-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing; left-leaning and alternative/independent outlets had. Left-leaning Mother Jones leads with the Lucas indictment and casts it as possible retribution against Democrats weeks before the midterms, treating Blanche's denial skeptically. It cites other cases involving Leticia James and Rep. Ilhan Omar, notes that many targets are Black women, and gives indictment details such as the $4.5 million estimate and the daughter's dispensary. The alternative/independent outlets take a distinct angle, centered on elections rather than Lucas. The Hill reports Blanche's Saturday statement that the Alaska lawsuit is not meant to block certification. Truthout's headline says he would not rule out DOJ disruption of midterm certification and cites a figure that seven in 10 Americans doubt Trump will accept the results.