Another woman on Tuesday accused Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) of rape, after a slew of sexual misconduct claims made against the congressman led him to suspend his California gubernatorial campaign and announce he will resign from office.
Lonna Drewes said she met Swalwell socially in 2018, when she said she was a model in California and running a fashion software company. She encountered him at two public events as “friends,” Drewes said during a press conference in Beverly Hills. At their third encounter, Drewes alleged that Swalwell drugged, raped, and choked her in his hotel room.
Recommended Stories
ERIC SWALWELL TO RESIGN FROM CONGRESS AFTER SEXUAL ASSAULT ACCUSATIONS
“On the third occasion, I believe, he drugged my drink. I only had one glass of wine,” she said. “We were supposed to go to a political event, and he said he needed to get paperwork from his hotel room. 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. I did not consent to sexual activity.”
Drewes’s attorneys said she is filing a police report about the alleged incident with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday. Attorney Lisa Bloom said she will be providing all of her evidence there, including text messages, journal entries, photographs, and witness information.
At the time of the alleged assault, Drewes said she documented the event and confided in those “closest to me,” but did not undergo a rape kit. She said she hesitated to come forward until now due to her fear of Swalwell’s “political power, his background as an attorney, and his family law enforcement ties.” She said that her consideration of a run for Beverly Hills City Council also pressured her to remain “composed and silent,” and that after the alleged rape, she continued a business relationship with Swalwell.
“Eric was aware I owned a software company, and he spoke repeatedly about his ability to make introductions in the Silicon Valley, referencing his political representation and influence there,” Drewes said. “[I] recorded these events in my handwritten calendar. The assault and its impact were later documented by my therapy sessions as a sexual assault.”
Swalwell has said he is not guilty of sexual misconduct, with his attorney calling the allegations a “shameless smear.”
“Congressman Eric Swalwell categorically and unequivocally denies each and every allegation of sexual misconduct and assault that has been leveled against him. These accusations are false, fabricated, and deeply offensive — a calculated and transparent political hit job designed to destroy the reputation of a man who has spent twenty years in public service,” attorney Sara Azari said.
“The timing, nature, and coordinated rollout of these vile and heinous allegations speak for themselves. This is neither about justice, nor the truth. This is a ruthless and shameless attempt to smear Congressman Swalwell,” she added.
NEWLY RELEASED TEXTS SHOW GONZALES PURSUED ANOTHER AFFAIR WITH STAFFER IN 2020
Swalwell is under criminal and congressional investigation amid the claims.
Drewes appears to be the fifth woman to claim publicly that the congressman raped her or committed sexual misconduct. CNN has reported that four women have publicly come forward with sexual misconduct claims. A former unnamed staffer was the first to allege on Friday that Swalwell raped her twice. Influencer Cheyenne Hunt, who has helped bring the allegations forward, told CBS that more than 30 women have reached out to her with some form of misconduct accusations against Swalwell.
