Whipped Cream Difficulties

Been over a month since we had one of these, and this one is a good one.

Louise Lucas is 82 years old. She’s also a Democratic senator in Virginia.

And she was just indicted, along with two of her daughters and a nephew.

Apparently, the senator is also a drug kingpin.

Prosecutors charged Lucas and six others, including her two daughters, with an alleged racketeering conspiracy involving marijuana distribution, money laundering, honest services fraud through bribery, maintaining drug-involved premises, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking and wire fraud.

…

According to the indictment unsealed Thursday, Lucas and close-knit group of associates including her family members orchestrated a criminal enterprise with Lucas’ marijuana business. Prosecutors said she approved and directed activities for the enterprise, including arranging for the acquisition and distribution of at least 100 kilograms of marijuana and supervising the laundering of marijuana proceeds.

…

The indictment also charges six others, including Lucas’ daughters Lisa Lucas-Burke and Theresa Lucas-Lamb, and grandson Ryan Eichelberger. It also charges Carlton Upton Jr., a former business partner of Lucas’, along with Prince Albert William Hudson III and Tameka Johnson. Neither Lucas nor Lucas-Burke could be immediately reached for comment Thursday morning.
Lucas has been in office since 1992. She’s made no secret of her status as a “grandma who legalized pot and now has her own cannabis store,” and she’s been known to sample her own supply.

What’s the rule? “Don’t get high on your own supply.”

The Virginian-Pilot repeats a claim that this is Republican retaliation for her redistricting attempts (among other things) but also suggests she hasn’t made any friends on either side of the divide:

Earlier this year, state budget negotiations ground to a standstill as Lucas refused to budge on the question of whether data centers should be subject to the state’s sales and use tax. She publicly criticized fellow Democrats Gov. Abigail Spanberger and House Speaker Don Scott, who were skeptical of what they said would be going back on deals with businesses. The state teetered on the verge of a government shutdown before Lucas agreed to a down-to-the-wire deal that included a $1.2 billion data center consumption tax to be levied over two years.

NYTimes (share link, may require).

National Review (hattip: Lawrence.)