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BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (KGO) — Another woman has come forward to accuse Congressman Eric Swalwell of sexual assault, giving a powerful and emotional account Tuesday morning.
At a press conference in Beverly Hills, Lonna Drewes told a harrowing story of allegedly being drugged, raped and choked by the soon-to-be former congressman in 2018.
Swalwell, who pulled out of the governor’s race and will resign his seat, is facing a mounting list of accusers and mounting legal trouble as well.
These details may be disturbing to read.
Drewes says she was a model and owned a fashion software company when she met Congressman Eric Swalwell in 2018.
She says they went out as friends several times and on their third outing, she claims Swalwell drugged her and raped her.
“We were supposed to go to a political event and he said he needed to get paperwork from his hotel room,” Drewes said. “When I arrived at his hotel room I was already incapacitated, I couldn’t move my arms or my body. He raped me and he choked me and while he was choking me I lost consciousness and I thought I died.”
Drewes says she did not consent to sex with Swalwell. She says she took notes of the encounter and repeated it at therapy sessions. She says it drove her to self-medicate in an unhealthy way.
Timeline of accusations
On Monday, Swalwell said he will step down from his seat after 13 years. The announcement came just as the ‘House Ethics Committee’ launched an investigation into the 45-year-old Congressman’s actions.
MORE: Rep. Eric Swalwell suspends campaign for CA governor amid sexual assault allegations
The decision caps a swift political fall for the seven-term lawmaker, who had been seen as one of the leading candidates in California’s gubernatorial race before dropping out Sunday after the allegations surfaced, claims he has continued to deny.
The San Francisco Chronicle, followed by CNN, first reported allegations that Swalwell had sexually assaulted a woman twice, including when she worked for him. CNN also reported that three other women alleged various kinds of sexual misconduct by Swalwell – including sending them unsolicited explicit messages or nude photos.
“I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” Swalwell said on social media. “I will fight the serious false allegation made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make.”
On Tuesday, there was anger, shock and plenty of disappointment felt among constituents across political lines throughout Swalwell’s district in the Bay Area.
“He’s a complete dirtbag,” one person said.
“I was considering voting for him, but now I just really disappointed,” another said.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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