Swalwell: Who is Lona Drews? Fifth woman accuses Eric Swalwell of sexual misconduct as Democrat resigns from office
Lona Drews has come forward as the fifth woman to publicly accuse California Democrat and Representative Eric Swalwell of sexual misconduct. Drews is a former model and software company owner. She appeared at a press conference in Beverly Hills with her attorney Lisa Bloom. She detailed an alleged incident from 2018, where she claims Swalwell drugged her, raped her, and choked her until she passed out and thought she was going to die.
What are the allegations?
Recalling the incident about seven years ago, Drews said he met Swalwell while living and working in Beverly Hills. At the time, she was running a fashion software company, and she claims Swalwell offered to use his political connections to help her business. At their third meeting, they were attending the inauguration of a restaurant and planned to go to a political event afterwards.According to Drews, Swalwell wanted to stay in his hotel room to pick up paperwork. She alleges that after having only one glass of wine that evening, she felt incapacitated and “heavy” when they reached the room. She claims that she did not consent to any sexual activity and was unable to move or resist. Drews said she did not report the incident to police in 2018 because she was fearful of Swalwell’s power and her family’s ties to law enforcement. However, she recorded the events in a journal and discussed them in therapy. These records are to be used by his legal team to provide evidence to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Who are the other four women who have accused him of sexual misconduct?
Before Drews came forward, four other women had already made serious allegations against Eric, leading him to resign from Congress this week and drop out of the California gubernatorial race:
- A former congressional aide accused Swalwell of raping her in a New York City hotel room in 2024. He alleged that she was heavily intoxicated and ignored his repeated pleas to stop. She also described a second incident in 2019 where she woke up naked in her hotel room with no memory of the night.
- A woman who met Swalwell through social media alleged that he touched and kissed her without consent. She claimed that during a meeting in person, she became incapacitated and later found herself in her hotel room with gaps in her memory.
- Two additional women came forward alleging digital harassment. She claimed that Swalwell sent unwanted explicit messages and nude photos through platforms such as Snapchat after they initiated contact under the guise of professional mentorship.
Eric Swalwell, through his attorney Sara Azari, has “categorically and unequivocally” denied all allegations of sexual assault and rape. He admitted “errors in judgment” regarding his personal life and resigned his seat. But he says the criminal allegations are false.