New Accusation Against Eric Swalwell Includes Claims of Drugging, Choking and Rape

Soon after she spoke, Sawlwell presented his resignation from Congress.

According to Drewes, she met Swalwell three times in 2018 while she was working as a model in Beverly Hills and pursuing business and political opportunities. On the third occasion, she said, they were supposed to attend a political event but stopped at his hotel room first because he said he needed paperwork. Drewes told reporters she became incapacitated after drinking a single glass of wine, leading her to believe she had been drugged. She then accused Swalwell of raping her and choking her until she blacked out. "I thought I died," she said at the press conference.

Drewes also said she had no romantic interest in Swalwell and was in a relationship at the time. She said the former candidate had offered connections that she believed could help grow her fashion software company, a detail she said shaped the context of their interactions before the alleged assault. She described herself as interested in local politics and the owner of a fashion software company when she met Swalwell.

Her attorney, Lisa Bloom, said after the press conference that the legal team would file a police report with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and provide supporting material. Los Angeles Times reported that Bloom said the evidence package would include text messages, journal entries and witness information. Other reports from the event said the lawyers also referenced photos and additional records tied to Drewes' account. At the time of publication, public confirmation that the sheriff's report had already been filed was not immediately available.

Drewes said the delay in reporting was driven by fear.

She explained that feared Swalwell's political power and influence, but she told people close to her about the alleged assault and wrote about it in her calendar, though she did not undergo a rape exam. She also said the experience shattered her mental health, leading to self-medication, therapy, and years of emotional distress.

The allegation lands as Swalwell's political crisis is already deepening. Swalwell suspended his campaign for governor of California after earlier sexual misconduct allegations surfaced, and the House Ethics Committee had opened an investigation into whether Swalwell engaged in sexual misconduct toward an employee under his supervision.

Swalwell has denied the most serious allegations against him. In a statement posted in social media, he apologized to his family, staff, and constituents for "mistakes in judgment" in his past, but said he would fight what he called a false allegation.