Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) resigned from Congress on Tuesday, effective today, capping a stunning collapse of his political career just one day after he suspended his bid for California governor. The move came hours after a new accuser, Lonna Drewes, held a press conference in Beverly Hills alleging that Swalwell drugged, raped, and choked her unconscious in a West Hollywood hotel room in July 2018.
Drewes, a former model and fashion technology entrepreneur, told reporters she met Swalwell three times that year while he offered political connections for her business. On the third encounter, she claims she had one glass of wine she believes was spiked, became incapacitated, and was assaulted at the Montrose Hotel. She said she thought she was going to die. Drewes did not pursue a rape kit at the time but says she told friends, kept journal entries, and preserved texts and photos. Her team filed a formal complaint with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department the same day.
The allegation is the latest - and most detailed - in a string of at least five public accusations of sexual misconduct against Swalwell. He has denied all of them.
What makes Drewes’ claim particularly damaging is fresh documentation tying Swalwell to the scene. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the alleged assault occurred in the 900 block of Hammond Street - the exact location of the Montrose Hotel. Campaign finance expert Rob Pyers flagged, and Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin amplified, FEC records showing “Swalwell for Congress” spent $361 ($353 + $8 travel) at that hotel on July 18, 2018 - the precise date referenced in the sheriff’s statement.
Swalwell’s office cited the mounting accusations and an ongoing House Ethics Committee investigation as the reason for his exit. He had already faced a separate criminal probe by the Manhattan DA’s office over a prior assault claim.
Rumors of a Wider Capitol Hill Reckoning
Swalwell’s resignation has sparked online speculation about additional lawmakers potentially facing scrutiny. Much of the chatter has centered on a list of names that originated in a post by former Rep. George Santos (R-NY) on Monday. In it, Santos claimed that while in Congress he had heard “rumors and or allegations” of lewd or alleged sexual misconduct involving several members and staff or reporters. He listed:
- Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
- Tony Gonzalez (R-TX)
- Max Miller (R-OH)
- Dan Meuser (R-PA)
- Matt Rosendale (former Rep., R-MT)
- Ruben Gallego (D-AZ)
- Nancy Mace (R-SC)
- Anthony DeEsposito (former Rep., R-NY)
- Mark Green (former Rep., R-TN)
- Lori Chavez (former Rep., R-OR)
- Ritchie Torres (D-NY)
- Brian Steil (R-WI)
- Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Reality check on the list: At least two names have already acted. Swalwell is out. Rep. Tony Gonzalez (R-TX) also resigned Tuesday after admitting to an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide; TMZ had been covering that story extensively. Several others on the list (Rosendale, DeEsposito, Green, Chavez, Menendez) are already former members of Congress.