A Beverly Hills woman is accusing Eric Swalwell of drugging and sexually assaulting her after she said the Silicon Valley representative promised her political and business connections.
Lona Drews, who told reporters Tuesday that she was working as a model and owner of a fashion tech company in Beverly Hills at the time, said she met Swalwell in 2018 and the two saw each other three times after meeting socially.
After offering her connections to advance his software company, she alleged that one night when the two were to attend what she described as a “political event”, she drank a glass of wine and became intoxicated.
“I believe he spiked my drink,” she said.
The allegation comes a day after Swalwell, who faces sexual harassment and other misconduct allegations, announced his resignation from Congress","Add":{"Target": :"New","Property":(),"url": :"https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/13/eric-swalwell-resign-from-congress-00869957","_Identification": :"0000019d-8d94-da39-abbf-add774930004","_Type": :"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_Identification": :"0000019d-8d94-da39-abbf-add774930005","_Type": :"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Announced that he was resigning from Congress. In his announcement he said, “I will fight the serious, false allegations made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the past mistakes I have made.”
Swalwell and his attorney could not immediately be reached for comment.
Druze, who said she had political aspirations of her own at the time, alleges that he lured her to his hotel room, saying she had to pick up some papers, and sexually assaulted her and choked her until she became unconscious.
“I thought I died,” she said.
His lawyer Lisa Bloom said there was no further contact between the two.
He said, “My delay in taking action against Eric was driven not by suspicion but by fear. There was fear of his political power, his background as a lawyer, and his family law enforcement ties. I never doubted what happened.”
Bloom denies Swalwellcalled upon","Add":{"Target": :"New","Property":(),"url": :"https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/11/swalwell-vows-to-fight-sexual-misconduct-allegations-apologizes-to-wife-for-unspecified-mistakes-00868060","_Identification": :"0000019d-8d94-da39-abbf-add774930006","_Type": :"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_Identification": :"0000019d-8d94-da39-abbf-add774930007","_Type": :"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Refutation of The allegations made by several other women are “ridiculous” and he said his resignation “is not a sufficient consequence for these types of allegations.” She said she planned to immediately file a report with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office, including text messages, journal entries and witness information.
