The Megyn Kelly Show - Longtime Virginia Dem Indictment, Politico's Wiles Correction, Possible Iran Strike: AM Update 10/23

Episode Date: October 23, 2026

Longtime Virginia Democrat State Senator Louise Lucas faces federal racketeering, drug trafficking, and corruption charges as prosecutors accuse her of using her political influence to operate a multimillion-dollar marijuana enterprise. Politico corrects part of its reporting on White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles following legal threats from the Trump administration, but stands by two other disputed stories. New reports suggest the US and Israel may be preparing for another round of military strikes against Iran, as conflicting accounts raise questions about whether an attack could come before or after the midterm elections. Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom clashes with WNBA officials after being denied entry to a Finals game amid a dispute over security arrangements and his outspoken advocacy for protecting women's sports.  Cozy Earth: Visit https://www.CozyEarth.com & Use code MEGYNAM for up to 20% off Herald Group: Learn more at https://GuardYourCard.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Good morning, everyone. I'm Emily Jashinsky, host of After Party and the Megan Kelly wrap-up show on SiriusXM Channel 111. It's Friday, October 23, 2026. And this is your AM update. Senator Lucas has been charged and indicted with five counts. One of Virginia's most powerful Democrats facing federal racketeering and drug trafficking charges, as prosecutors accuse her of using her political influence to build a multi-million-dollar marijuana operation. Politico-correcting its reporting on White House Chief of Staff Stozy, Wiles following threats of legal action from the Trump administration. Most people seem to think it's after the election, and we're going to see what happens. New reports suggesting the U.S. and Israel are preparing to launch fresh attacks on Iran with major questions about the timeline, and Inez-Canter Freedom clashing with WNBA

officials after being denied entry to a finals game. All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM update. Cozy Earth has been a game changer in our home. freaking love their products, making the bed and couch infinitely more comfortable. Now the cozy season is officially here and the nights are getting cooler, there are two specific pieces you need to know about. First up, their bamboo sheet set, which you don't have, if you don't have it already, you need to. This thing can fix your hot sleeping. Stay perfectly cool, sleep straight through the night without kicking off the covers and getting out of bed in the morning will be harder than ever because you'll be

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as prosecutors accuse 82-year-old state Senator Louise Lucas of overseeing a multi-million dollar marijuana operation and using her political influence to enrich herself and her family. Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI director Cash Patel announcing the indictment during a news conference in Norfolk, Virginia, alleging Lucas directed a criminal enterprise that operated for approximately five years and generated an estimated $4.5 million. The indictment also naming six alleged co-conspirators, including Lucas's two daughters, her grandson, and three business associates, all of whom were taken into federal custody yesterday. A.G. Blanche detailing the charges. Senator Lucas has been charged and indicted with five counts. Racketeering conspiracy,

conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and maintaining a drug-involved premises. The other counts listed in the indictment that she's not charged in include possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and wire fraud. All seven defendants are charged for their various roles they allegedly played in the Lucas Enterprise. The indictment alleges that Senator Lucas approved and directed criminal activities and other activities to benefit the affairs of the Lucas Enterprise, that she arranged for the acquisition and distribution of marijuana, that she supervised the laundering of marijuana proceeds, and that she used her political influence

to demand and accept a bribe and attempted to influence Virginia legislation for the benefit of herself and her family. According to the federal indictment, Lucas and her associates allegedly distributing more than 100 kilograms of marijuana through several businesses, including the cannabis outlet, a store she co-owns in Portsmouth, Virginia. Luke is previously maintaining that her store sells legal hemp and CBD products, rather than marijuana containing illegal levels of THC. While marijuana possession is legal for adults in Virginia, recreational retail sales remain prohibited,

although a new licensing system is scheduled to take effect next July. Federal prosecutors now alleging undercover investigators purchased marijuana from the cannabis outlet in July and laboratory testing confirmed the products contained marijuana. Prosecutors accusing Lucas of using her position as chairwoman of the powerful State Senate Finance Committee to influence marijuana legislation and secure lucrative business opportunities for herself and her family. The indictment detailing a series of intercepted phone calls, including one in February when Lucas allegedly discussed the possibility of securing a marijuana license

and sharing the profits. During that conversation, Lucas allegedly declaring, quote, This is our last chance at generational wealth. I've got too old to not be greedy. Federal investigators also alleging Lucas paid $750,000 to acquire a stake in a company expecting to receive a marijuana license, then failed to disclose that interest on required financial forms. The investigation dating back years. FBI agents searching Lucas's Portsmouth office and cannabis business in May,

recovering marijuana and firearms from two of the stores. Lucas, a longtime critic of President Trump, accusing the administration of using federal law enforcement to silence her. In a statement yesterday, the Democrat declaring, she will not be intimidated or bullied, pointing to her experience growing up under Jim Crow and her decades of political activism. Her attorneys expressing surprise at the indictment and the charges against members of her family.

The prosecution drawing criticism from Democrat Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, who argues the timing of the indictment, less than two weeks before the midterm elections, undermines public trust in the Justice Department. Blanche addressing questions about the timing of the charges yesterday. We cannot bring a charge if our purpose is improper. And there's nothing improper about this purpose. And so there's a lot of commentary about the 60-day rule.

I think it's something that we, in leadership at the Department of Justice, think about and take very seriously. The center is not up for re-election. This is a long-running case. As alleged in the indictment, it's a RICO conspiracy case. It's a narcotics case. And so while the timing of an indictment is something that we have always thought about at the Department of Justice, the expected complaints about the timing of this indictment are not consistent with the justice manual or consistent with what we're doing is very consistent with past practices.

Lucas appearing in federal court in Norfolk Thursday afternoon where a judge released her without requiring bail. The 82-year-old now scheduled for arraignment November 16th in Newport, Newport, Virginia, where she is expected to enter a plea. Politico correcting one of three disputed stories about White House chief of staff, Susie Wiles, following a legal threat from the Trump administration. The news outlet acknowledging it misrepresented Wiles' involvement in a TV interview that preceded the abrupt departure of White House press secretary Katie Zachariah, but standing by its other reporting as the White House demands further corrections and a public

apology. The dispute beginning last Thursday when Politico reported that President Trump was privately considering replacing Wiles, citing conversations with people familiar with his thinking. A follow-up report the next day, claiming the story triggered turmoil inside the White House, and that Trump erupted in anger over its publication. The president rejecting those accounts, telling reporters last Friday that he has complete confidence in his chief of staff. Are you shopping around for a new chief of staff? No, that's a false report. That was written by Politico, it's fake news. I could not be more happy with Susie.

She's done a great job from day one. That story in Politico, I guess it was, is a total fake story. And we told them before they wrote it. So they put my disclaimer in there. They said, oh, you know, I disagree. But I said, that story is false. Don't write that story. But they put it in anyway, because they're fake news.

That is a totally false story. Politico also publishing a separate article Friday, suggesting Wiles helped arrange a contentious interview between Zachariah and Fox News host Sean Hannity the night before. Zachariah losing her job, just hours after the appearance, as Politico cited anonymous sources who suggested the interview was deliberately arranged to undermine the embattled press secretary. The White House disputing that account, saying it provided Politico with text messages, showing Zachariah herself sought the interview rather than Wiles arranging it. By Monday, White House counsel Will Sharf sending a formal letter to Politico's editor-in-chief,

accusing the publication of knowingly running false stories despite receiving evidence contradicting its claims. Sharf demanding the outlet retract or correct all three articles, remove the disputed reporting from its website, and publicly apologize to Trump and Wiles. Sharf also giving Politico 48 hours to respond, warning that the administration could reconsider its relationship with the outlet and pursue legal action. Politico responding yesterday, rejecting the White House's accusations of deliberately misleading readers, but acknowledging that further reporting uncovered a problem with its account of the Hannity interview. The outlet now clarifying that Wiles merely offered Zachariah encouragement ahead of her television appearance

and had no direct role in arranging it. Politico also replacing a social media post that inaccurately described Wiles' involvement while declining to retract its other two reports or issue the requested apology. In response obtained by Fox News Digital, Politico's attorneys defending the correction as evidence of responsible journalism and accusing the White House of attempting to intimidate reporters over unfavorable coverage. White House spokesperson Danielle Alvarez pushing back, telling Fox News that Politico ignored evidence contradicting its claims and should be embarrassed by its reporting. The confrontation adding to an existing legal dispute over White House press access, after the administration barred Politico

and several other outlets from certain presidential events. A federal judge ordering the restoration of their White House access earlier this month, a decision the Trump administration is appealing. Coming up, the U.S. reportedly moving troops out of harm's way across the Middle East as new reports point to another possible round of attacks on Iran.

And former NBA player, Annescanter Freedom, turned away from a WNBA finals game as his fight to protect women's sports sparks another controversy. Our sponsor, the Electronic Payments Coalition, says Washington politicians are always getting in your wallet and that now they're messing with your credit card. They say your credit card and the security it offers are under attack and that Senators Dick Durbin and Roger Marshall want to change the nation's payment system to benefit corporate megastores like Walmart and Target at the expense of everyday Americans. Credit cards can keep your payments secure and provide rewards that families use to help make everyday purchases more affordable. The Electronic Payments Coalition says the Durban Marshall mandates would let corporate megastores

cut corners on credit card processing, routing transactions over cheaper, untested networks with weaker security and fewer protections. Find out more for yourself at guardyourcard.com and consider telling Congress to guard your card. The U.S. and Israel may be preparing for a possible new round of attacks on Iran, as conflicting reports raise questions about whether military action could begin before or after next month's midterm elections. NPR reporting yesterday, American and Israeli officials are making plans for potential strikes in early November, citing a source briefed on the military preparations. According to that source, Israel initially wanted to launch an attack in mid-October, ahead of its own elections next Tuesday. But President Trump objected.

The U.S. now building up its military presence in the region, although the source acknowledges the preparations could also be intended to pressure Iran into reaching a diplomatic agreement. However, a separate report from drop-site news suggests, the timeline could be much sooner. The outlet citing a senior Iranian official who says Tehran's intelligence services believe a major bombing campaign could begin before Israel's elections on October 27th. An American official also telling drop site that U.S. military forces are rapidly preparing for renewed combat operations, although that official expresses skepticism

about an attack happening before the Israeli vote. The White House pushing back on the speculation telling dropside that the U.S. will not attack Iran before the November midterms. President Trump addressing the possibility of renewed military action while speaking to reporters Wednesday night, suggesting a resolution to the conflict is approaching one way or another. We have a little conflict against Iran, but we're doing very well militarily and financially against Iran. Is there any developments with those negotiations? I mean, are they ongoing with Iran at this? Iran. A little bit, but we'll see what happens.

Are you over negotiating with the Iranians at this point? I think we're not negotiating with it. We are going to have something one way or the other that will happen fairly soon. Most people seem to think it's after the election, and we're going to see what happens. But I will say this, what we've done with Iran is amazing. NBC News reporting the U.S. military is quietly pulling troops away from several bases across the Middle East, as the State Department also reduces staffing at diplomatic facilities. American forces stationed in Jordan, Qatar, and Kuwait, among those being moved,

in an apparent effort to protect U.S. personnel from potential Iranian retaliation. The State Department also ordering the U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia to operate with emergency staff only amid continued threats from Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The moves resemble precautions taken before the U.S. and Israel launched their initial military campaign against Iran in February. Iran warning that any renewed attacks would trigger retaliation against American interests. across the region. As the country's foreign minister insists, Tehran remains prepared for both diplomacy and war. Former NBA player Annescanter Freedom turned away from a WNBA finals game in Atlanta

Wednesday night, accusing the league of targeting him over his outspoken support for protecting women's sports. Freedom posting video of his encounter with police outside State Farm Arena, where he says security refused to let him take the seat he purchased for game three of the championship series. I purchased thousands of dollars of tickets, right? And I would like to sit on my seat. That's all I want. We got to get off state ballpark.

And he's free to go to the city of Atlanta streets. He's free to go to that's another private establishment over there. He's free to go there. He just can't be here. They kick me out of the game for supporting women. They kick me out of the game. They're not letting me in the arena by protecting women and supporting women. Shame on the NBA and shame on the WMBA.

the dispute coming down to a disagreement over security arrangements. According to the Associated Press, Freedom had contacted federal, state, and local authorities, along with the WNBA and arena officials, to raise concerns about his personal safety ahead of the game. In response, the Atlanta Dream and State Farm Arena arranging for him to watch from a private suite, providing additional security and a state police officer at his request.

Freedom declining the arrangement insisted he wanted to sit in the seat he paid for, prompting arena officials to deny him entry. This, the second time in two months, Freedom has been removed from a WNBA venue. In August, the former NBA Center getting into a heated exchange with Chicago Sky player Natasha Cloud, who confronted him as he sat courtside wearing a shirt defining a woman as an adult human female,

security escorting freedom out of the arena, and the Chicago Sky subsequently banning him from attending the team's home games. Freedom has become an outspoken advocate for keeping men out of women's sports, even announcing plans to enter the 27 WNBA draft alongside fellow former NBA player Royce White in an effort to challenge the league's eligibility rules.

Earlier this week, WNBA Commissioner Kathy Engelbert, responding to questions from Republican lawmakers, declaring that only women are eligible to compete in the league and specifically identifying freedom and white as men. The commissioner stopping short of providing the definition of a woman requested by lawmakers. freedom firing back on social media, writing, quote, apparently the WNBA still can't define what a woman is,

but they're absolutely certain they know what a man is. How convenient. That'll do it for your AM update. I'm Emily Dershinsky host of AfterParty. Go and check out more at AfterPityemily.com. Catch the Megan Kelly Show later today, live on SiriusXMs, the Megan Kelly Channel 11 at Noon East, on YouTube.com slash Megan Kelly, and all podcast platforms.