Virginia Democrats who previously defended investigations and allegations against Donald Trump are urging restraint now that federal prosecutors have charged one of their own.
The shift is evident across the party’s top ranks following the indictment of Virginia Senate President Pro Tempore L. Louise Lucas. Lieutenant Gov. Ghazala Hashmi, who rejected Republican claims that Trump was being selectively prosecuted after his 2023 classified-documents indictment, is now stressing Lucas’ “constitutional presumption of innocence” and arguing Lucas “is fully entitled to legal due process.” Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones, who said last year that Trump tried to “incite a riot” and “overturn an election,” says the allegations against Lucas must be tested through a legal process “free from political interference or bias.”
Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., likewise joined Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine in declaring that “those charged with crime are innocent until proven guilty” and questioning the Justice Department’s motivations — years after Scott said during Trump’s first impeachment that “the facts are uncontested,” called his conduct a “gross abuse of presidential power” and declared that “no one is above the law.” Trump was later acquitted by the Senate.
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Gov. Abigail Spanberger, meanwhile, is stressing Lucas’ presumption of innocence after calling congressional defenses of Trump’s handling of classified documents “deeply detrimental to our national security” days after his 2023 indictment in a case that was ultimately dismissed without a trial.
Lucas, who also chairs the powerful Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, was indicted alongside six others in what federal prosecutors allege was a years-long criminal enterprise involving marijuana distribution, money laundering, bribery and fraud. She has denied wrongdoing, and an indictment does not establish guilt. The investigation that ultimately produced the charges began during the Biden administration, according to multiple reports.
The contrasting rhetoric extends beyond individual officeholders. The Democratic Party of Virginia (DPVA) declared Trump had been “rightfully indicted” and that “no one is above the law” immediately after a Manhattan grand jury indicted him in March 2023 — more than a year before a jury heard the case. The party had also criticized Republican claims that federal law enforcement was being politically “weaponized” against Trump during the classified-documents investigation. Lucas currently serves as a DPVA vice chair.
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Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., was the only Democrat contacted by Fox News Digital who responded to questions about the contrast between his past rhetoric about Trump and his current rhetoric about Lucas, rejecting the suggestion that his positions were inconsistent while accusing federal law enforcement of politically timing Lucas’ arrest.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a Democrat or Republican, the American people deserve answers and accountability from everyone,” Subramanyam told Fox News Digital.
Subramanyam called the charges against Lucas “serious,” adding that “she should face justice if they are true,” while alleging that “the DOJ and FBI timed this arrest for two weeks before the election for political reasons.”
“Trump has a pattern of targeting political opponents and weaponizing the DOJ, and he has spent his second presidency covering up the Epstein files,” Subramanyam said. “It took Congress forcing the administration’s hand to even get a fraction of the full files released.”
The federal investigation that produced Lucas’ indictment, however, predates Trump’s second administration. The Washington Post, CBS News and The Associated Press reported after federal searches in May, citing anonymous sources familiar with the investigation, that the probe began during the Biden administration.
U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche reiterated that the investigation began years ago and rejected allegations of political retaliation.
“We don’t do political paybacks,” Blanche said.
Federal prosecutors allege Lucas led a criminal enterprise involving relatives and associates that distributed marijuana and laundered proceeds while she used her political position to protect the operation and influence legislation that could financially benefit it. The indictment alleges Lucas and her co-defendants were involved in distributing at least 100 kilograms of marijuana, while FBI Director Kash Patel said the alleged scheme generated roughly $4.5 million.
Lucas has denied wrongdoing and accused the federal government of trying to silence her.
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“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 after surrendering to authorities. “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 will not be bullied,” she added. “And I will not back down.”