WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — Indian American Rep. Suhas Subramanyam said the FBI and Justice Department notified him that federal wiretaps targeting Virginia state Sen. Louise Lucas intercepted his phone conversations with her earlier this year.
Subramanyam, a Virginia Democrat, was not identified as a target of the investigation. According to notification letters reported by Virginia Scope, federal judges authorized surveillance of Lucas’ phone during two periods spanning March 5 to April 6 and April 14 to May 14.
The FBI searched Lucas’ Portsmouth office and a cannabis business she co-owns on May 6 as part of a federal corruption investigation, according to people familiar with the matter cited by The Associated Press. The investigation began during the Biden administration, and no charges have been filed against Lucas.
Lucas is president pro tempore of the Virginia Senate and chairs the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee.
Subramanyam questioned the timing of the surveillance, which overlapped with campaigning surrounding a Virginia redistricting referendum.
“The timing of this wiretap and investigation is extremely suspicious,” Subramanyam said in a statement Thursday.
He also noted that the surveillance occurred while the House Oversight Committee was seeking testimony from Attorney General Pam Bondi regarding the federal government’s handling of matters related to Jeffrey Epstein. Subramanyam serves on the committee.
Subramanyam alleged that the investigation may have been politically motivated, but he did not provide evidence linking the surveillance to his congressional work or the redistricting campaign.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to media requests for comment on Subramanyam’s allegations.
Subramanyam represents Virginia’s 10th Congressional District. He was elected to Congress in 2024 after previously serving in the Virginia General Assembly.
