Latest Eric Swalwell accuser alleges he drugged and raped her
Lonna Drewes came forward Tuesday with the allegations after the California Democrat announced he would resign from Congress.
Updated on: April 14, 2026 / 9:44 PM EDT / CBS News
Washington — Another woman came forward with allegations against former Rep. Eric Swalwell on Tuesday, claiming the California Democrat drugged and raped her after he offered to help her career in 2018.
Swalwell announced Sunday that he would be ending his campaign for governor of California and said Monday he planned to resign from Congress. He officially resigned on Tuesday. Swalwell has called the prior allegations against him "false" and suggested they were politically motivated to hurt his gubernatorial bid.
The woman, who identified herself as Lonna Drewes at the news conference with her attorneys in Beverly Hills, said Swalwell had invited her to a political event but they ended up at his hotel room because he said he needed to get paperwork.
"I believe he drugged my drink. I only had one glass of wine," Drewes said. "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," she said. "And while he was choking me, I lost consciousness and I thought I died."