Another woman has accused Eric Swalwell of sexual assault, claiming the California Democrat drugged and raped her in 2018.
At a press conference in Beverly Hills on Tuesday, the woman, Lonna Drewes, said she delayed coming forward sooner with her allegations that Swalwell drugged and raped her in a West Hollywood hotel room because of his “political power”.
“He raped me and he choked me and while he was choking me, I lost consciousness and I thought I died,” Drewes said, speaking next to her lawyers, Lisa Bloom and Arick Fudali, in front of a large-scale photo of her with Swalwell at the 2018 opening of the restaurant Avra in Beverly Hills.
Following the press conference, Drewes said she planned to share evidence with the Los Angeles county sheriff’s office. Later on Tuesday, authorities in Los Angeles county said they were investigating Drewes’s claims.
“The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Special Victims Bureau is investigating a case involving a female adult who reported being sexually assaulted by Eric Swalwell,” the department said in a statement. It added that the investigation “remains in its preliminary stages and is ongoing”.
On Tuesday, Sara Azari, a lawyer representing Swalwell, said in a statement shared with media outlets that the politician “categorically and unequivocally denies each and every allegation of sexual misconduct and assault that has been leveled against him”.
Shortly after Drewes’s allegations were made public, Swalwell, facing the threat of an expulsion vote, formally resigned his seat in Congress, effective at 2pm ET on Tuesday. Days earlier, he suspended his campaign for governor, and the House ethics committee opened an investigation, following allegations that he sexually assaulted a former staffer twice, according to an extensive report of her account in the San Francisco Chronicle. CNN published a similar account hours later, as well as allegations from three other women of Swalwell sending them unwanted explicit photos or messages.
At the press conference, Drewes said she had been working as a model in Beverly Hills and owned a fashion software company when she met the now 45-year-old US representative from the San Francisco Bay area.
“He invited me to two public events. I knew he was married at the time and that his wife was pregnant. He was my friend. On the third occasion, I believe he drugged my drink. I only had one glass of wine. We were supposed to go to a political event and he said he needed to get paperwork from his hotel room,” Drewes said.
Drewes said she was “already incapacitated” by the time they arrived at his hotel in West Hollywood. “I couldn’t move my arms or my body,” she said.
Drewes said she “did not consent to any sexual activity”, and added: “Although I did not undergo a rape kit at the time, I disclosed the assault to the people closest to me. I also recorded these events in my handwritten calendar … the assault and its impact were later documented during my therapy sessions at a sexual assault center in Connecticut.”
Drewes described the alleged incident’s impact on her mental health, saying she self-medicated “in an unhealthy way” and “cried all the time”.
“I did not want to live any more,” she said. “It was a politically unusual, intense time in Beverly Hills, and I was considering a run for city council, which placed me in proximity to political figures and events and added to the pressure to remain composed and silent.”
Drewes also said Swalwell “spoke repeatedly about his ability to make introductions in Silicon Valley, referencing his political representation and influence there”.
She said her delay in taking action against Swalwell was “driven by fear, not doubt – fear of his political power, his background as an attorney, and his family law enforcement ties”.
Also speaking at the press conference, Bloom said three other women had contacted her since she announced the press conference on Monday but did not provide additional details.
“Lonna deserves what all women deserve: autonomy over her own body, every minute of every hour of every day of her life. Her body is hers to control, and no man, no matter his position of power or station in life, ever has the right to make that decision for her,” Bloom said.
Fudali added: “Neither myself, Lisa nor Lonna care or concern ourselves with the political affiliation of the accused or how these allegations may or may not affect a political campaign or a career. This is about much more than politics, and belittling such serious allegations is offensive to Lonna and victims everywhere. This is not about Democrat versus Republican. This is about accountability versus silence.”
Earlier this week, Swalwell apologized to his family, staff and constituents for “mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past” and vowed to “fight the serious false allegation made against me”.
In recent days, multiple reports have emerged of women accusing Swalwell of sexual assault, as well as sending unsolicited explicit photos and messages.
Lauren Gambino contributed reporting
