DOJ and FBI monitored calls between Virginia lawmaker and state Senate leader, representative says

The short version

• Rep. Suhas Subramanyam stated that federal authorities informed him they wiretapped past phone conversations between him and Virginia state Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas.
• The interception was authorized by a federal judge in April, followed by a May federal search of Lucas's office and a cannabis dispensary she co-owned.
• Both lawmakers characterized the investigation as politically motivated, while the FBI declined to comment.

Key facts

• Rep. Suhas Subramanyam announced that the FBI and Department of Justice sent him letters notifying him that his phone calls with Virginia state Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas had been intercepted.[The Hill]
• Letters shared by Subramanyam's office indicate that a federal judge approved the wiretap in April.[The Hill]
• Federal agents searched Lucas's office and a co-owned cannabis business in May as part of the ongoing inquiry.[The Hill]
• Lucas denied any wrongdoing, and Subramanyam alleged the surveillance was intended to intimidate Democrats amid disputes over redistricting and oversight inquiries.[The Hill]
• The FBI declined to comment on the matter.[The Hill]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

• Virginia Democrat says DOJ wiretapped phone calls with state Senate leaderThe Hill