Woman Accuses Rep. Eric Swalwell of Drugging, Raping, Choking Her

Lonna Drewes accused Rep. Eric Swalwell of drugging her drink, raping her and choking her until she lost consciousness during an encounter she said happened in a California hotel room in 2018. Speaking at a press conference with her attorneys, Drewes said, “He raped me, and he choked me. And while he was choking me, I lost consciousness,” adding, “I thought I died.”

Drewes said she had earlier friendly contact with Swalwell and believed he was offering connections that could help her software company. She said the third encounter changed course after Swalwell told her he needed to get paperwork before a political event, then lured her to his hotel room. Drewes said she believed he “drugged my drink” before the assault. She said she did not file a police report at the time, but disclosed the allegations to people closest to her, wrote about them in a handwritten calendar and later documented the episode and its effects during therapy sessions at a sexual assault center in Connecticut.

Her attorney, Lisa Bloom, said a report would be filed immediately in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office and the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office were both contacted for comment, a sign the allegation could now move into a formal local law-enforcement process. The case adds a new layer of scrutiny to Swalwell at a moment when prosecutors in New York are already examining a separate sexual assault allegation against him that reportedly involved a former staffer and took place in 2024.

Swalwell has denied the claims, calling them “flat false.” In a social media video, he said the assaults “did not happen” and vowed to fight the accusations “with everything that I have.” He has also announced that he would resign from Congress amid the widening scandal.

The fallout has already spread beyond his House seat. Swalwell had been one of the more prominent candidates in California’s June 2 top-two governor’s primary, a race with at least 10 candidates that also includes Katie Porter, Tom Steyer and Xavier Becerra. Major labor groups, including the California Federation of Labor Unions and the California chapter of the Service Employees International Union, rescinded prior endorsements after the allegations surfaced, and House Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Nancy Pelosi urged him to leave the race.

Political analysts said Swalwell’s exit could shift support toward Porter, Steyer, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan or former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, while Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco could gain if Democratic support remains fractured. The allegations now threaten both Swalwell’s political future and the credibility of the campaign he tried to build around it.