Rona Drews reacted to a press conference in Beverly Hills, California on April 14, 2026, in which she claimed that Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) sexually assaulted her with a photo of her with him next to her.
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Rep. Eric Swalwell’s new accuser tearfully accused the ousted California Democrat on Tuesday of believing he drugged her before strangling and raping her in a hotel room in the state six years ago.
The woman, Rona Drews, told a news conference in Los Angeles that her lawyer, Lisa Bloom, said she would file a police report detailing the allegations against Swalwell, who has repeatedly denied any criminal wrongdoing.
“He invited me to two public events. I knew at the time that he was married and his wife was pregnant,” Drews told reporters. “He was a friend of mine. The third time, I think he drugged my drink. I only had one glass of wine.”
“We were supposed to go to a political event and he (Mr. Swalwell) said he needed to get some documents from his hotel room,” Drews said.
“When I arrived at his hotel room, I was already incapacitated, unable to move my arms or body,” Drews said of the West Hollywood incident.
“He raped me.”
“Then he strangled me. While he was strangling me, I lost consciousness and I thought I was dead.” “I did not consent to any sexual activity,” Drews said.
“We will not rest until justice is served for Rona,” Bloom said.
“I want to say this directly to Mr. Swalwell: Your recent statements about you not being perfect and not being a saint are nothing but hyperbole. Stop it. Your statement that this is all between you and your wife is laughable except for the fact that it’s a slap in the face to the victim.”
Swalwell, 45, is already under criminal investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office on separate assault charges.
The congressman, who has three children with his wife, announced Monday that he is resigning from his seat in the House of Representatives representing a district in California after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct.
His announcement came a day after Swalwell suspended his gubernatorial campaign.
Rona Drews (left) and former U.S. Congressman Eric Swalwell (D) are photographed in Beverly Hills, California on April 14, 2026. At a press conference, she explained her allegations of sexual misconduct by Mr. Swalwell.
Patrick T. Fallon | AFP | Getty Images
“I deeply apologize to my family, staff, and constituents for the errors of judgment I made in the past. I intend to fight the serious and false allegations made against me,” Swalwell said in a statement Monday.
“But I have to take responsibility and accountability for the mistakes I made,” Swalwell said.
