Hours before Eric Swalwell resigned from Congress on Tuesday afternoon, a second woman came forward with allegations that the California Democrat drugged and sexually assaulted her. Lonna Drewes told reporters at a Beverly Hills press conference that Swalwell raped her in a West Hollywood hotel room in 2018, adding her voice to a growing chorus of accusers that has ended the congressman's political career and put him in potential criminal jeopardy.
Drewes, a model who works in fashion technology, said she met Swalwell while seeking political connections for her software company. According to her account, Swalwell promised to take her to a political event but instead led her to his hotel room, claiming he needed to retrieve paperwork.
- Second woman to publicly accuse Swalwell of sexual assault involving drugging
- Manhattan district attorney has opened criminal investigation
- Swalwell resigned from Congress less than two hours after Drewes's allegations became public
- Multiple women now describe similar pattern of alleged drugging and assault
"We were supposed to go to a political event and he said he needed to get paperwork from his hotel room," Drewes said. She described how Swalwell "spoke repeatedly about his ability to make introductions in Silicon Valley, referencing his political representation and influence there."
The allegations follow a disturbing pattern emerging in multiple accusations against the 45-year-old congressman. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, three alleged assaults "follow the same pattern: the women said they agreed to get drinks with Swalwell but then became so intoxicated they do not remember or have only partial memories of what followed."
Drewes said she documented her trauma in therapy sessions at a sexual assault center in Connecticut. "I did not want to live anymore," she told reporters.
The accusations have escalated beyond political scandal into criminal investigation territory. Drewes's attorney said they would provide text messages, journal entries and photographs to police and assist with the Manhattan district attorney's investigation.
CBS News reported that two additional women, Annika Albrecht and Ally Sammarco, told the network that Swalwell allegedly sent them unsolicited explicit messages on Snapchat. Meanwhile, CNN has reported allegations from three more women, including another who said Swalwell sexually assaulted her in 2025.
The mounting accusations transformed what began as whispered rumors into a cascade of public allegations that destroyed Swalwell's gubernatorial ambitions within days. He had suspended his campaign for California governor on Monday, citing the need to focus on his congressional duties amid the controversy.
"This is not about Democrat versus Republican," said attorney Lisa Bloom, who is representing Drewes alongside Gloria Allred. The bipartisan nature of the allegations has complicated typical partisan defenses, with few Democratic colleagues rushing to Swalwell's defense.
In his resignation statement, Swalwell maintained some defiance even as he acknowledged unspecified "mistakes." He argued that "expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong." However, he offered no specific denial of the sexual assault allegations.
The resignation removes Swalwell from his position on the House Intelligence Committee, where he had served since 2015 and gained national attention during Trump-era investigations. His East Bay congressional seat will likely remain safely Democratic in any special election.
For Drewes, speaking publicly represented a significant step after years of private suffering. Her attorney noted she had "no contact with Swalwell again" after the alleged 2018 assault, distinguishing her account from other accusers who described ongoing professional relationships.
The Manhattan district attorney's investigation will determine whether criminal charges follow, but the political consequences have already proved devastating. In less than a week, Swalwell went from gubernatorial candidate to resigned congressman facing potential felony allegations. The speed of his political collapse reflects how sexual assault accusations now carry immediate career consequences in post-#MeToo politics, particularly when multiple accusers describe similar patterns of alleged predatory behavior.
