A new allegation has surfaced against Rep. Eric Swalwell, with a woman publicly accusing the California Democrat of raping her during a 2018 encounter in Beverly Hills.
Lonna Drewes said Tuesday that she met Swalwell socially while living and working in Beverly Hills, where the two had contact on three occasions.
She alleged the congressman initially presented himself as a professional ally, offering to help her fashion software company by making connections in Silicon Valley and inviting her to public events.
Drewes said the third meeting took a disturbing turn.
“On the third occasion, I believe he drugged my drink,” Drewes said at a Beverly Hills news conference held at the law office of attorneys Lisa Bloom and Arick Fudali. “I only had one glass of wine.”
According to Drewes, the pair were supposed to attend a political event that night, but Swalwell instead suggested stopping at his hotel room to retrieve paperwork.
She said that by the time she arrived, she was incapacitated.
“I couldn’t move my arms or my body,” she said. “He raped me. And he choked me.”
Drewes said she lost consciousness during the alleged assault and did not consent to any sexual activity.
She acknowledged she did not undergo a rape kit at the time, but said she told people close to her about the alleged incident and documented it in a handwritten calendar.
She also said the events were later discussed in therapy sessions at a sexual assault center in Connecticut.
Drewes described a lasting emotional toll.
“I self-medicated in an unhealthy way. I did not want to live anymore. I cried all the time, for years,” she said.
She emphasized that she was in a committed relationship at the time and would not have engaged in a consensual encounter.
“I’ve never cheated in my life, and I would never have engaged in a consensual sexual encounter with Eric Swalwell,” she said.
Drewes said she remained silent for years out of fear, not “doubt,” citing Swalwell’s political stature, legal background, and family ties to law enforcement.
“It was a politically unusual and 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,” she said.
She reiterated that she was not romantically interested in Swalwell, but saw value in the professional opportunities he said he could provide.
“I have never doubted what happened,” Drewes said. “I stand with the other women who have come forward, and I will be making a report to law enforcement shortly with my attorneys.”
Watch the statement below:
BREAKING: Lonna Drewes accuses Democratic congressman Eric Swalwell of rape.
Watch her full statement: pic.twitter.com/85PGU572cX
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 14, 2026
