Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell (CA-14) is under more scrutiny after another woman publicly accused him of sexually assaulting her.
Lonna Drewes, accompanied by her lawyer Lisa Bloom, held a press conference on Tuesday in which she told the story about her encounter with the lawmaker.
Drewes explained that in 2018, she was “living and working as a model in Beverly Hills” and owned “a fashion software company.” She met Swalwell at a social event and had contact with him “on three separate occasions after meeting him.” The lawmaker “offered me connections to further my software company.”
Drewes said she “knew he was married at the time and that his wife was pregnant” and that she and Swalwell became friends after he invited her to two public events.
But it was on the third meeting that things went wrong, Drewes said. The accuser said, “I believe he drugged my drink — I only had one glass of wine.”
“We were supposed to go to a political event and he said he needed to get paperwork from his hotel room,” Drewes continued. “When I arrived at his hotel room, I was already incapacitated and I couldn’t move my arms or my body. He raped me and he choked me, and while he was choking me, I lost consciousness and I thought I died.”
Drewes further stated that she “did not consent to any sexual activity.” She explained she did not undergo a rape kit after the alleged rape but she “disclosed the assault to the people closest to me” and “recorded these events in my handwritten calendar.”
She recalled how the incident impacted her, saying it “had a profound impact on my mental health” and that she “self-medicated in an unhealthy way.”
“I did not want to live anymore. I cried all the time for years,” she said.
At the time, Drewes was in a committed relationship with a boyfriend. “I’ve never cheated in my life, and I would never have engaged in a consensual sexual encounter with Eric Swalwell.”
She explained why she did not come forward sooner, noting that the delay “was driven by fear, not doubt.”
“I have never doubted what happened,” she concluded. “I stand with the other women who have come forward, and I will be making a report to law enforcement shortly with my attorneys.”
Arick Fudali, Lisa Bloom’s law partner, addressed reporters next, appearing to call out Republicans for politicizing the matter. “Mr. Swalwell and others have suggested that the allegations against him have or may have political motivations,” he said. “Those on the other side of the aisle have already begun exploiting his accusers for political gain.”
Yet, the first of the allegations against Swalwell were reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, which is far from being a right-wing news outlet. Subsequent coverage included reports from other left-leaning organizations like the New York Times, CNN, CBS News, and others.
Bloom stressed that Drewes “deserves what all women deserve: Autonomy over her own body” and declared that, “Immediately, we will be filing a police report with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office, which is the law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction over incidents that happen in West Hollywood.”
The attorney also noted that her firm and client are “committed to fully cooperating with law enforcement, and we will do everything possible to assist and support her in that.”
Swalwell, who was previously a leading candidate for governor, is facing a slew of allegations from four other women who say he engaged in a range of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment, assault, and rape.
One former staffer said Swalwell raped her while she was intoxicated and unable to consent in a New York hotel room after a 2024 charity event. The Manhattan district attorney opened an inquiry into at least one of these incidents.
Swalwell has denied all the allegations and his lawyer sent cease-and-desist letters to at least two of the women involved. He announced on Monday that he is resigning from Congress after calls for him to step down or be expelled. “Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong. But it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties,” he said in a written statement.
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