Lonna Drewes came forward as the fifth woman to publicly accuse California Democrat and Representative Eric Swalwell of sexual misconduct. Drewes is a former model and software company owner. She appeared at a press conference in Beverly Hills alongside her attorney, Lisa Bloom. She detailed an alleged incident from 2018 where she claims Swalwell drugged, raped, and choked her until she lost consciousness and thought she would die.
What are the allegations?
Recalling the almost 7-year-old incident, Drewes said that she met Swalwell while living and working in Beverly Hills. At the time, she was running a fashion software company, and she claims Swalwell offered to use his political connections to help her business. On their third meeting, they were attending the opening of a restaurant and planned to head to a political event afterward.According to Drewes, Swalwell wanted to stop at his hotel room to pick up paperwork. She alleges that after consuming only one glass of wine earlier that evening, she felt incapacitated and “heavy” by the time they reached the room. She claims she did not consent to any sexual activity and was unable to move or resist. Drewes explained that she did not report the incident to the police in 2018 because she was intimidated by Swalwell’s power and his family’s ties to law enforcement. However, she documented the events in a journal and discussed them in therapy. These records are to be used by her legal team to provide proof to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Who are the other four women alleging sexual misconduct?
Before Drewes came forward, four other women had already leveled serious allegations against Eric, leading to his resignation from Congress this week and his exit from the California gubernatorial race:
- A former congressional aide accused Swalwell of raping her in a New York City hotel room in 2024. She alleged that she was heavily intoxicated and that he ignored her repeated pleas to stop. She also described a second incident from 2019 where she woke up naked in his hotel room with no memory of the night.
- A woman who met Swalwell via social media alleged that he touched and kissed her without consent. She claimed that during a meeting in person, she became incapacitated and later found herself in his hotel room with gaps in her memory.
- Two additional women came forward alleging digital harassment. They claimed Swalwell sent unsolicited explicit messages and nude photographs through platforms like Snapchat after initiating contact under the guise of professional mentorship.
Eric Swalwell has “categorically and unequivocally” denied all allegations of sexual assault and rape through his attorney, Sara Azari. He admitted to “mistakes in judgment” regarding his personal life and resigned his seat. But he maintains that the criminal accusations are false.
