New Allegations Surface Against Eric Swalwell: More Women Come Forward

Another woman has alleged that Eric Swalwell raped her, adding to a growing list of misconduct allegations against the former Democratic lawmaker.

Speaking on Tuesday, Lonna Drewes said she had been reluctant to come forward with her allegations that Swalwell drugged and raped her in a hotel room in 2018 because of his political power.

Swalwell has resigned from Congress and withdrawn from California governor's race since accusations against him were reported on Friday. He denies each and every sexual misconduct allegation against him.

These accusations are false, fabricated, and deeply offensive - a calculated and transparent political hit job, his attorney Sara Azari said.

The timing, nature, and coordinated rollout of these vile and heinous allegations speak for themselves. This is neither about justice, nor the truth, Azari said in a statement.

At a news conference on Tuesday, Drewes' attorney, Lisa Bloom, dismissed Swalwell's earlier public response to other women's accusations - in which he apologized to his wife while denying the allegations - as blather and spin.

Drewes said she met Swalwell in 2018 while working as a model in Beverly Hills, California. She said Swalwell's wife was pregnant at the time, and that she initially considered the congressman her friend.

During their third meeting, Drewes said Swalwell told her he needed to go back to his hotel room for something he forgot, where she alleged he choked and raped her. She had had one glass of wine, but was unable to move by the time she arrived at the room, she said, leading her to believe she had been drugged.

While he was choking me I lost consciousness and I thought I died, she said. I did not consent to any sexual activity.

Drewes said she did not undergo a sexual assault exam at the time, but told her close friends about the incident.

Bloom, her attorney, said she planned to file a police report with the Los Angeles Police Department on the alleged assault.

The accusation follows claims by four other women last week, who accused the congressman of misconduct ranging from sexual harassment to rape, prompting a congressional ethics inquiry.

Two other women who accused Swalwell of sending unwanted explicit photos also spoke to the BBC's US partner CBS News this week, saying they were grateful he was facing consequences now and leaving Congress after acting with impunity for years.

Annika Albrecht and Ally Sammarco, the accusers, told the outlet they felt vindicated. But Albrecht said there is more to be done.

For me, justice won't be until he can't ever harm a woman ever again, and he has faced the consequences for the women that he has harmed, she said.

Sammarco told CNN last week that Swalwell sent her unsolicited nude messages over Snapchat, an app that deletes messages after they're sent. She said the two met after she messaged him over Twitter when she was 24 to discuss careers in politics.

He was pushed into a corner, essentially, because they were planning to expel him … so I think he [resigned] to save face a little, Sammarco told CBS News. But I also felt very vindicated that he realised it was over for him.

Albrecht said she met Swalwell during a college trip, where he initiated contact under the guise of mentorship before sending sexually inappropriate messages on Snapchat and inviting her to a hotel room.

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office is also investigating Swalwell over allegations from an unnamed former staff member who was featured in a San Francisco Chronicle story recounting accusations that he assaulted women in California and New York.

The woman in the newspaper article said she woke up naked in his hotel bed in 2019 with fuzzy memories of the night before after going out for drinks with him.

Swalwell has denied that accusation as well.

The sexual misconduct allegations have forced a MeToo moment of sorts on Capitol Hill, where Swalwell and his wrongdoing were the talk of the hallways on Tuesday in both chambers of congress.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, told reporters that he was glad to see the congressman resign and said lawmakers had to be vigilant of misconduct, including sexual misconduct.

Both Swalwell and Texas Republican Tony Gonzales resigned on Tuesday afternoon. Separately, Republican lawmaker Anna Paulina Luna told CNN that she would provide information to the FBI, stating agents had sought to speak with Swalwell.