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

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00:00:30.000 Good morning, everyone. I'm Emily Jashinski, host of After Party and the Megyn Kelly Wrap-Up

00:00:36.980 Show on SiriusXM Channel 111. It's Friday, October 23rd, 2026, and this is your AM Update.

00:00:43.520 Senator Lucas has been charged and indicted with five counts.

00:00:48.280 One of Virginia's most powerful Democrats facing federal racketeering and drug trafficking charges 0.96

00:00:53.100 as prosecutors accuse her of using her political influence to build a multi-million dollar 0.65

00:00:57.780 marijuana operation. Politico correcting its reporting on White House Chief of Staff Stusie

00:01:02.580 Wiles following threats of legal action from the Trump administration.

00:01:06.500 Most people seem to think it's after the election and we're going to see what happens.

00:01:11.700 New reports suggesting the U.S. and Israel are preparing to launch fresh attacks on Iran

00:01:16.340 with major questions about the timeline and Inez Cantor Freedom clashing with WNBA officials

00:01:21.860 after being denied entry to a finals game. All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM

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00:02:39.100 One of Virginia's most powerful Democrats surrendering to federal authorities yesterday

00:02:43.440 as prosecutors accused 82-year-old state Senator Louise Lucas of overseeing a 0.99

00:02:48.520 multi-million dollar marijuana operation and using her political influence to enrich herself 0.97

00:02:53.220 and her family. Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Cash Patel announcing the

00:02:58.400 indictment during a news conference in Norfolk, Virginia, alleging Lucas directed a criminal

00:03:02.640 enterprise that operated for approximately five years and generated an estimated four and a half

00:03:08.260 million dollars. The indictment also naming six alleged co-conspirators, including Lucas's two

00:03:14.300 daughters, her grandson, and three business associates, all of whom were taken into federal

00:03:19.020 custody yesterday. A.G. Blanche detailing the charges. Senator Lucas has been charged and

00:03:25.360 indicted with five counts. Racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute and possess

00:03:31.760 with intent to distribute marijuana, conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy to commit honest

00:03:36.900 services fraud, and maintaining a drug-involved premises. The other counts listed in the indictment

00:03:43.760 that she's not charged in include possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking

00:03:47.880 crime and wire fraud. All seven defendants are charged for their various roles they allegedly

00:03:53.320 played in the Lucas Enterprise. The indictment alleges that Senator Lucas approved and directed

00:03:59.440 criminal activities and other activities to benefit the affairs of the Lucas Enterprise,

00:04:05.980 that she arranged for the acquisition and distribution of marijuana, that she supervised 0.92

00:04:10.600 the laundering of marijuana proceeds, and that she used her political influence to demand and 0.99

00:04:16.200 accept a bribe and attempted to influence Virginia legislation for the benefit of herself 0.82

00:04:21.580 and her family. According to the federal indictment, Lucas and her associates allegedly

00:04:26.920 distributing more than 100 kilograms of marijuana through several businesses,

00:04:31.300 including The Cannabis Outlet, a store she co-owns in Portsmouth, Virginia.

00:04:35.800 Lucas previously maintaining that her store sells legal hemp and CBD products rather than

00:04:40.360 marijuana containing illegal levels of THC. While marijuana possession is legal for adults in

00:04:45.800 Virginia, recreational retail sales remain prohibited, although a new licensing system

00:04:50.980 is scheduled to take effect next July. Federal prosecutors now alleging undercover investigators

00:04:56.520 purchased marijuana from the cannabis outlet in July, and laboratory testing confirmed the

00:05:01.580 products contained marijuana. Prosecutors accusing Lucas of using her position as chairwoman of the

00:05:07.320 powerful state senate finance committee to influence marijuana legislation and secure 0.98

00:05:12.080 lucrative business opportunities for herself and her family. The indictment detailing a series of 1.00

00:05:17.420 intercepted phone calls, including one in February when Lucas allegedly discussed the possibility of

00:05:22.940 securing a marijuana license and sharing the profits. During that conversation, Lucas allegedly

00:05:28.440 declaring, quote, this is our last chance at generational wealth. I've got too old to not be

00:05:33.680 greedy. Federal investigators also alleging Lucas paid $750,000 to acquire a stake in a company

00:05:40.660 expecting to receive a marijuana license, then failed to disclose that interest on required

00:05:45.640 financial forms. The investigation dating back years. FBI agents searching Lucas's Portsmouth

00:05:51.420 office and cannabis business in May, recovering marijuana and firearms from two of the stores.

00:05:57.440 Lucas, a longtime critic of President Trump, accusing the administration of using federal

00:06:01.980 law enforcement to silence her. In a statement yesterday, the Democrat declaring she will not

00:06:06.980 be intimidated or bullied, pointing to her experience growing up under Jim Crow and her

00:06:11.400 decades of political activism. Her attorneys expressing surprise at the indictment and the

00:06:16.180 charges against members of her family. The prosecution drawing criticism from Democrat

00:06:20.560 Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, who argues the timing of the indictment less than two weeks

00:06:25.580 before the midterm elections, undermines public trust in the Justice Department. Blanche addressing

00:06:30.800 questions about the timing of the charges yesterday. We cannot bring a charge if our

00:06:36.500 purpose is improper and there's nothing improper about this purpose and so there's a lot of

00:06:41.100 commentary about the 60-day rule i think it's something that we at in leadership at the

00:06:46.160 department of justice think about and take very seriously um the center is not up for re-election

00:06:50.620 this is a long-running case as as alleged in the indictment it's a rico conspiracy case it's a

00:06:56.700 narcotics case um and and so while the timing of of an indictment is something that we have always

00:07:04.540 thought about at the Department of Justice. The expected complaints about the timing of

00:07:09.940 this indictment are not consistent with the justice manual or consistent with what we're

00:07:15.080 doing is very consistent with past practices. Lucas appearing in federal court in Norfolk

00:07:19.880 Thursday afternoon, where a judge released her without requiring bail. The 82-year-old now

00:07:24.940 scheduled for arraignment November 16th in Newport News, Virginia, where she is expected to enter a

00:07:29.940 plea. Politico correcting one of three disputed stories about White House Chief of Staff Susie

00:07:36.240 Wiles, following a legal threat from the Trump administration. The news outlet acknowledging it

00:07:41.380 misrepresented Wiles' involvement in a TV interview that preceded the abrupt departure of White House

00:07:47.200 Press Secretary Katie Zachariah, but standing by its other reporting as the White House demands

00:07:52.040 further corrections and a public apology. The dispute beginning last Thursday, when Politico

00:07:57.480 reported that President Trump was privately considering replacing Wiles, citing conversations

00:08:02.220 with people familiar with his thinking. A follow-up report the next day claiming the story

00:08:06.460 triggered turmoil inside the White House, and that Trump erupted in anger over its publication.

00:08:12.040 The president rejecting those accounts, telling reporters last Friday that he has complete

00:08:16.180 confidence in his chief of staff. Are you shopping around for a new chief of staff?

00:08:21.020 No, that's a false report that was written by Politico.

00:08:25.060 It's fake news.

00:08:26.200 I could not be more happy with Susie. 0.78

00:08:29.000 She's done a great job from day one.

00:08:31.480 That story in Politico, I guess it was, is a total fake story.

00:08:36.380 And we told them before they wrote it.

00:08:39.160 So they put my disclaimer in there.

00:08:41.240 They said, oh, you know, I disagree.

00:08:43.300 But I said, that story is false.

00:08:46.420 Don't write that story.

00:08:47.580 But they put it in anyway because they're fake news.

00:08:49.460 that is a totally falsehood. Politico also publishing a separate article Friday,

00:08:54.920 suggesting Wiles helped arrange a contentious interview between Zechariah and Fox News host

00:08:59.440 Sean Hannity the night before. Zechariah losing her job just hours after the appearance,

00:09:04.720 as Politico cited anonymous sources who suggested the interview was deliberately arranged to

00:09:09.520 undermine the embattled press secretary. The White House disputing that account,

00:09:13.820 saying it provided Politico with text messages showing Zechariah herself sought the interview

00:09:19.080 rather than Wiles arranging it.

00:09:21.680 By Monday, White House counsel Will Scharf sending a formal letter to Politico's editor-in-chief,

00:09:26.760 accusing the publication of knowingly running false stories despite receiving evidence contradicting its claims.

00:09:33.080 Scharf demanding the outlet retract or correct all three articles,

00:09:36.700 remove the disputed reporting from its website, and publicly apologize to Trump and Wiles.

00:09:41.740 Scharf also giving Politico 48 hours to respond,

00:09:44.340 warning that the administration could reconsider its relationship with the outlet and pursue legal

00:09:49.400 action. Politico responding yesterday, rejecting the White House's accusations of deliberately

00:09:54.560 misleading readers, but acknowledging that further reporting uncovered a problem with

00:09:59.280 its account of the Hannity interview. The outlet now clarifying that Wiles merely offered Zachariah

00:10:04.300 encouragement ahead of her television appearance and had no direct role in arranging it. Politico

00:10:09.880 also replacing a social media post that inaccurately described Weil's involvement while declining

00:10:15.280 to retract its other two reports or issue the requested apology.

00:10:19.120 In a response obtained by Fox News Digital, Politico's attorneys defending the correction

00:10:23.420 as evidence of responsible journalism and accusing the White House of attempting to

00:10:28.320 intimidate reporters over unfavorable coverage.

00:10:31.380 White House spokesperson Danielle Alvarez pushing back, telling Fox News that Politico

00:10:36.060 ignored evidence contradicting its claims and should be embarrassed by its reporting.

00:10:40.740 The confrontation adding to an existing legal dispute over White House press access after

00:10:45.860 the administration barred Politico and several other outlets from certain presidential events.

00:10:50.380 A federal judge ordering the restoration of their White House access earlier this month,

00:10:54.420 a decision the Trump administration is appealing.

00:10:58.220 Coming up, the U.S. reportedly moving troops out of harm's way across the Middle East as

00:11:02.720 new reports point to another possible round of attacks on Iran.

00:11:06.060 and former NBA player Inez Cantor-Freedom turned away from a WNBA finals game

00:11:11.360 as his fight to protect women's sports sparks another controversy.

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00:12:04.580 to guard your card. The U.S. and Israel may be preparing for a possible new round of attacks 0.91

00:12:11.340 on Iran, as conflicting reports raise questions about whether military action could begin before

00:12:16.440 or after next month's midterm elections. NPR reporting yesterday, American and Israeli

00:12:22.240 officials are making plans for potential strikes in early November, citing a source briefed on

00:12:27.580 military preparations. According to that source, Israel initially wanted to launch an attack in

00:12:33.080 mid-October, ahead of its own elections next Tuesday, but President Trump objected. The U.S.

00:12:38.500 now building up its military presence in the region, although the source acknowledges the

00:12:42.180 preparations could also be intended to pressure Iran into reaching a diplomatic agreement.

00:12:47.020 However, a separate report from DropSite News suggests the timeline could be much sooner.

00:12:52.160 The outlet citing a senior Iranian official who says Tehran's intelligence services believe

00:12:56.600 a major bombing campaign could begin before Israel's elections on October 27th.

00:13:02.300 An American official also telling DropSite that U.S. military forces are rapidly preparing for

00:13:07.300 renewed combat operations, although that official expresses skepticism about an attack happening

00:13:12.420 before the Israeli vote. The White House pushing back on the speculation, telling DropSite that

00:13:17.280 the U.S. will not attack Iran before the November midterms. President Trump addressing the possibility

00:13:22.520 of renewed military action while speaking to reporters Wednesday night, suggesting a

00:13:27.160 resolution to the conflict is approaching, one way or another.

00:13:52.520 are going to have something one way or the other that will happen fairly soon. Most people seem to

00:13:58.060 think it's after the election, and we're going to see what happens. But I will say this, what we've

00:14:03.720 done with Iran is amazing. NBC News reporting the U.S. military is quietly pulling troops away from

00:14:09.540 several bases across the Middle East, as the State Department also reduces staffing at diplomatic

00:14:14.100 facilities. American forces stationed in Jordan, Qatar, and Kuwait, among those being moved, in an

00:14:20.040 apparent effort to protect U.S. personnel from potential Iranian retaliation. The State Department

00:14:25.080 also ordering the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia to operate with emergency staff only, amid continued

00:14:30.340 threats from Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The moves resemble precautions taken before the U.S.

00:14:35.740 and Israel launched their initial military campaign against Iran in February. Iran warning

00:14:41.200 that any renewed attacks would trigger retaliation against American interests across the region,

00:14:46.240 as the country's foreign minister insists,

00:14:48.860 Tehran remains prepared for both diplomacy and war.

00:14:53.200 Former NBA player Inez Cantor-Freedom turned away from a WNBA Finals game in Atlanta Wednesday night,

00:14:59.200 accusing the league of targeting him over his outspoken support for protecting women's sports.

00:15:04.360 Freedom posting video of his encounter with police outside State Farm Arena,

00:15:08.220 where he says security refused to let him take the seat he purchased for Game 3 of the championship series.

00:15:13.460 I purchased thousands of dollars of tickets, right?

00:15:16.620 And I would like to sit on my seat.

00:15:18.660 That's all I want.

00:15:20.260 We got to get off state ballpark.

00:15:22.120 He's free to go to the city of Atlanta streets.

00:15:24.620 He's free to go to.

00:15:25.420 That's another private establishment over there.

00:15:27.320 He's free to go there, but he just can't be here. 1.00

00:15:29.540 They kicked me out of the game for supporting women.

00:15:33.320 They kicked me out of the game.

00:15:34.880 They're not letting me in the arena by protecting women and supporting women. 1.00

00:15:39.660 Shame on the NBA and shame on the WNBA. 0.98

00:15:42.060 The dispute coming down to a disagreement over security arrangements.

00:15:46.460 According to the Associated Press, Freedom had contacted federal, state, and local authorities,

00:15:51.140 along with the WNBA and arena officials, to raise concerns about his personal safety ahead of the game.

00:15:57.180 In response, the Atlanta Dream and State Farm Arena arranging for him to watch from a private suite,

00:16:02.680 providing additional security and a state police officer at his request.

00:16:06.360 Freedom, declining the arrangement, insisted he wanted to sit in the seat he paid for,

00:16:11.220 prompting arena officials to deny him entry. 0.88

00:16:14.300 This, the second time in two months, Freedom has been removed from a WNBA venue.

00:16:19.100 In August, the former NBA center getting into a heated exchange

00:16:22.220 with Chicago Sky player Natasha Cloud,

00:16:24.580 who confronted him as he sat courtside wearing a shirt defining a woman as an adult human female.

00:16:30.740 Security escorting Freedom out of the arena,

00:16:33.040 and the Chicago Sky subsequently banning him from attending the team's home games.

00:16:37.660 Freedom has become an outspoken advocate for keeping men out of women's sports, 0.70

00:16:41.820 even announcing plans to enter the 2027 WNBA draft alongside fellow former NBA player Royce White

00:16:48.180 in an effort to challenge the league's eligibility rules.

00:16:51.740 Earlier this week, WNBA Commissioner Kathy Engelbert responding to questions from Republican lawmakers,

00:16:57.620 declaring that only women are eligible to compete in the league and specifically identifying freedom and white as men.

00:17:04.260 The commissioner stopping short of providing the definition of a woman requested by lawmakers.

00:17:09.000 Freedom firing back on social media, writing, quote, 0.98

00:17:11.720 Apparently the WNBA still can't define what a woman is, but they're absolutely certain they know what a man is. 1.00

00:17:17.060 How convenient. 1.00

00:17:20.720 That'll do it for your AM update.

00:17:22.480 I'm Emily Drushinsky, host of After Party.

00:17:24.200 Go and check out more at AfterPartyEmily.com.

00:17:26.620 Catch The Megyn Kelly Show later today, live on SiriusXM's The Megyn Kelly Channel 111 at noon east,

00:17:31.580 on youtube.com slash megankelly and all podcast platforms.

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The Megyn Kelly Show - October 23, 2026

Longtime Virginia Dem Indictment, Politico's Wiles Correction, Possible Iran Strike： AM Update 10⧸23

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