A California woman stepped forward Tuesday to accuse Rep. Eric Swalwell of drugging and sexually assaulting her at a Beverly Hills hotel in 2018, adding to mounting allegations against the Democratic congressman as he prepares to resign from office.
Lonna Drewes described the alleged assault in detail at a Beverly Hills press conference, saying she met Swalwell when she was working as a model and running a fashion software company. She said the congressman, who was married at the time, initially invited her to two public events.
"On the third occasion, I believe he drugged my drink," Drewes said. "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."
Once at the hotel, Drewes alleged she became unable to move. "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," she stated.
Drewes said she disclosed the incident to people close to her and documented it in her handwritten calendar, with the assault later addressed during therapy sessions at a sexual assault center in Connecticut. She plans to file a police report with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office through her attorneys Lisa Bloom and Arick Fudali.
The delay in reporting, Drewes explained, stemmed from fear rather than doubt. "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," she said. She cited concern about Swalwell's political power, his legal background, and his family's law enforcement connections.
At the press conference, Bloom disclosed that three additional women had contacted her since the event was announced but did not elaborate on their allegations. "Lonna deserves what all women deserve, autonomy over her own body, every minute of every hour of every day of her life," Bloom said.
Swalwell announced Monday his intention to resign from Congress, following bipartisan calls for his departure amid multiple accusations of sexual assault and misconduct. The allegations had also derailed his recent campaign for California governor.
In his Monday statement, Swalwell acknowledged past mistakes in judgment while denying the current allegations. "I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I've made in my past. I will fight the serious false allegation made against me," he said. "However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make."
He added that remaining in office would distract from his constituents' needs, prompting his decision to step down. "Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong. But it's also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties," Swalwell stated.
Recent reporting has surfaced multiple accounts from women alleging sexual assault, harassment, and unsolicited explicit images and messages from the congressman.
Author James Rodriguez: "The pattern here is hard to ignore, and Swalwell's carefully worded mea culpa doesn't address the specific, detailed allegation Drewes laid out on camera."
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