Former congressman Eric Swalwell must have been hoping that the outpouring of stories would stop once he withdrew from the governor's race and then promised to resign from congress. But it turns out that didn't work. The wheels were already in motion and today yet another woman came forward and accused Swalwell of raping her. Her name is Lonna Drewes and at the time she was a model.
Former Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., is facing a new sexual assault allegation from a woman who said he drugged, raped and choked her in a California hotel room in 2018.
"He raped me, and he choked me. And while he was choking me, I lost consciousness," the woman, Lonna Drewes, said Tuesday at a press conference with her attorneys about the alleged attack. "I thought I died."
Drewes read a five minute statement at the press conference. I've included video of the whole thing below. She said she met Swalwell socially at a restaurant opening. He offered to help her make connections that would allow her to expand the fashion-related software company she ran at the time. She also expressed interest in Democratic politics. This photo was apparently taken the first night they met.
BREAKING: Lonna Drewes said she thought she was friends with Eric Swalwell but claimed he spiked her drink before choking and sexually assaulting her in West Hollywood. https://t.co/AKENiNLA8U pic.twitter.com/MmtDFVkvIO
— California Post (@californiapost) April 14, 2026
As mentioned, Drewes was a model and so there are modeling photos of her from that year.
Lonna Drewes in 2018, the year she says she met Eric Swalwell 3 times related to a fashion software company she owns. This morning Drewes held a press conference alleging that Swalwell drugged her drink on that 3rd occasion, then asked her to stop by his hotel room with him to… pic.twitter.com/XLoXA5JJaS
— Jennifer Van Laar (@jenvanlaar) April 14, 2026
At the time, Drewes was in a relationship with someone and she knew that Swalwell was married and had a pregnant wife. She said during the press conference that she though of him as a friend.
Drewes said she had contact with Swalwell on a few separate occasions and that the first two encounters were friendly. "He offered me connections to further my software company," she said.
"I knew he was married at the time and his wife was pregnant," and thought "he was my friend," she said.
The third time they met, Swalwell (allegedly) made his move. They were supposed to go to an event but Swalwell claimed he needed to make a stop by his hotel room to pick up some paperwork. When she got to his room, Drewes realized she had no control of her body. She claims she only had one glass of wine that night and believes Swalwell must have spiked it with a drug of some kind.
Ms. Drewes said Mr. Swalwell told her he needed to stop by his hotel room to pick up paperwork beforehand. Before going to Mr. Swalwell’s room, Ms. Drewes said she drank one glass of wine, which Ms. Drewes said she believed Mr. Swalwell had drugged.
“When I arrived at his hotel room, I was already incapacitated and I couldn’t move my arms or my body,” Ms. Drewes said on Tuesday, sitting beside her lawyers, Lisa Bloom and Arick Fudali.
“He raped me and he choked me. And while he was choking me I lost consciousness and I thought I died,” Ms. Drewes said, stressing that she “did not consent to any sexual activity.”
Drewes never went to a doctor or to the police but she did tell friends and make notes about the incident at the time. She also talked to her therapist about it.
The alleged rape had a severe impact on her mental health, causing her to self-medicate, she said. She said she also went to therapy sessions at sexual assault center.
“I did not want to live anymore,” she said. “I cried all the time for years.”...
“My delay in taking action against Eric was driven by fear not doubt,” she said. “I have never doubted what happened.”
Drewes' story is pretty similar to one that an anonymous woman told CNN last week:
One woman who connected online with Swalwell over her interest in Democratic politics says she ended up extremely drunk inside his hotel room after a night out with the congressman, with little memory of what occurred. Earlier in the night at a bar, he kissed her and touched her leg without her consent, she said...
For the woman who connected online with Swalwell over Democratic politics, a family member and two friends confirmed she told them last year about the incident where she ended up intoxicated in his hotel room. CNN also reviewed messages between her and Swalwell, including a photo he sent her that matches footage of him during a CNN interview in her city on the night they met in person.
Women seem to blackout in Eric Swalwell's hotel room a lot. I doubt that's a coincidence but we'll have to wait and see if any evidence turns up to explain it or if more women come forward telling similar stories.
I do think Swalwell is probably in danger of going to prison now. He's already being investigated in Manhattan. A west coast investigation will certainly be opened this week into this case. And this likely isn't the end.
Lisa Bloom, Drewes' attorney, said she'd heard from three additional women in the past 24 hours since announcing this press conference. How many more victims are out there? If he's been doing this for 8 years, it could be quite a few.
Here's the full press conference.
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