A fifth woman has publicly accused U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell of sexual misconduct, making the allegation on Tuesday at a press conference held at her attorney's Beverly Hills office. The woman, identified as Lonna Drewes, described an encounter in 2018 she says left her incapacitated and culminated in rape.
Drewes said she had been invited previously by the congressman to two public events. She said that on their third meeting she had a glass of wine that she believes Swalwell drugged. Drewes alleged that after they stopped at his hotel room she was already incapacitated and that he raped her. She additionally said Swalwell choked her during the incident and that she lost consciousness, recalling, "I thought I died."
At the news conference Drewes described the long-term effects the event had on her mental health. She said she self-medicated, experienced persistent crying and lost the will to live for years following the alleged assault. Regarding the timing of her coming forward, Drewes said, "My delay in taking action against Eric was driven by fear, not doubt. Fear of his political power."
Swalwell, a Democrat who has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2013, is married and has three children. A representative for Swalwell did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Drewes' allegation.
Drewes' lawyer, Lisa Bloom, said the law firm will file a police report with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's office. Bloom said the firm will provide evidence in support of Drewes' claim, including text messages, journal entries and witness information.
The allegation comes after Swalwell announced he would resign from the House of Representatives and suspend his campaign for governor of California. Those moves followed reporting by The San Francisco Chronicle and CNN that a woman who formerly worked in Swalwell's district office had accused him of two nonconsensual sexual encounters. The woman, whose name was not disclosed in those reports, told CNN that she had been raped by Swalwell during a 2024 encounter in a New York City hotel and said she had been too intoxicated on both occasions to consent.
The Manhattan district attorney's office confirmed on Saturday that it is investigating the sexual assault allegations. CNN also reported that three other women had made sexual misconduct allegations against Swalwell.
In a statement posted on X on Monday, Swalwell apologized to his family, staff and constituents for "mistakes in judgments I've made in my past" while also saying he would fight "the serious, false allegation" against him.
It was not immediately clear when Swalwell's resignation from the House would become effective. He said he would coordinate with his staff to ensure his constituents continue to be served during his absence.
Swalwell had been regarded as a leading contender in the race to succeed Governor Gavin Newsom, who is completing the maximum of two terms. With Swalwell stepping away from the contest, billionaire Tom Steyer and former Representative Katie Porter remain as the prominent Democratic candidates vying to replace Newsom. California's primary system advances the top two vote-getters to the general election regardless of party affiliation.
Reporting note: The allegations described above are those presented by the accusers and the attorney representing one accuser. Law enforcement and Swalwell have provided public statements as noted. Other aspects of these matters remain under investigation and some details have not been publicly resolved.