An attorney for Eric Swalwell accuser Lonna Drewes blasted the outgoing congressman’s public response Tuesday, calling his comments “blather and spin” and “a slap in the face to the victims."
At Tuesday's Beverly Hills news conference at the law office of attorneys Lisa Bloom and Arick Fudali, the legal team said it would immediately file a police report with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office.
Bloom blasted Swalwell’s recent statement in which he said he was “not perfect” and “not a saint” and framed the matter as one between him and his wife.
“Your statement that this is all just a matter between you and your wife is laughable, if not for the fact that it is a slap in the face to the victims,” Bloom told reporters. “Your statement [Monday] that you just made, 'mistakes in judgment' is defensive and minimizing.
"Stop it. Own your behavior.”
Bloom said her team would provide investigators with evidence including text messages, journal entries, a photograph and witness information.
“We will not rest until we get justice for Lonna,” Bloom said.
Dropping out of the gubernatorial race and resigning from Congress is not enough, Boom added.
“Losing one’s job is not a sufficient consequence for these types of allegations,” she said. “We feel that the criminal investigations are the priority.”
Bloom also argued Swalwell’s resignation was not an act of accountability, but an effort to avoid further scrutiny.
“I do not, in my opinion, see that as an act of accountability at all,” Bloom said. “I see it as an effort to avoid the expulsion hearing that was coming.”
Bloom also issued a broader call for other possible accusers or witnesses to come forward, saying she had already received messages from other women and that her firm was available to speak with them confidentially.
“Enough is enough,” Bloom said. “I’m sick and tired of women being victimized by men in power.”
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., was one of the most visible Democrats on cable news before his quick fall from grace over sexual misconduct allegations, appearing on MS NOW and CNN hundreds of times in recent years, including 50 times already in 2026.
Swalwell, who suspended his California gubernatorial campaign this week and said he will resign from Congress following sexual assault allegations, developed a reputation over the last decade for being highly available to cable news producers. His ability to go on air with little notice and his positions on prominent House committees made him a point person to offer Democratic Party talking points.
A Media Research Center study found that Swalwell appeared on MS NOW 26 times and on CNN another 24 times in 2026 alone, with all the appearances coming between January 1 and April 10.
"A combined 50 cable news appearances in just the first 14 weeks of 2026 is astounding considering he’s not in party leadership. He was averaging three to four appearances per week," MRC associate editor Nicholas Fondacaro told Fox News Digital.
MS NOW and CNN were giving the gubernatorial hopeful a significant amount of free airtime before he became engulfed in scandal, but Swalwell had been a fixture for years.
Swalwell, who was first elected to the House in 2012, saw his star rise during President Donald Trump's first term due to his prominent role on the House Intelligence Committee and the sprawling Russia investigation, often making charges of "collusion."
From Jan. 1, 2018 to the end of Trump's first term on Jan. 20, 2021, Swalwell's name was mentioned on CNN and MSNBC — now called MS NOW — more than 2,000 times, including on reruns, according to a Grabien data search. Swalwell made a brief run for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination but dropped out well before the Iowa caucuses.
This is an excerpt from an article by Brian Flood.
A woman accused Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., of raping her in 2018 after she said the two met socially and had contact on three occasions while she was living and working in Beverly Hills.
Lonna Drewes said that Swalwell offered to help make connections for her fashion software company and invited her to two public events before an alleged third encounter that she said turned violent.
“On the third occasion, I believe he drugged my drink,” Drewes said at Tuesday's Beverly Hills news conference at the law office of attorneys Lisa Bloom and Arick Fudali. “I only had one glass of wine.”
Drewes alleged that she and Swalwell were supposed to attend a political event, but that he told her he needed to retrieve paperwork from his hotel room. By the time she arrived, she said, she was incapacitated.
“I couldn’t move my arms or my body,” she said. “He raped me. And he choked me.”
She said she lost consciousness during the alleged assault and did not consent to any sexual activity.
Drewes said she did not undergo a rape kit at the time, but told people close to her about the alleged assault and documented the events in a handwritten calendar.
She also said the alleged assault and its aftermath were later discussed during therapy sessions at a sexual assault center in Connecticut.
Drewes said the alleged assault had a lasting effect on her mental health.
“I self-medicated in an unhealthy way. I did not want to live anymore. I cried all the time, for years,” she said.
She also said she was in a committed dating relationship at the time and would not have engaged in a consensual sexual encounter with Swalwell.
“I’ve never cheated in my life, and I would never have engaged in a consensual sexual encounter with Eric Swalwell,” she said.
Drewes said she remained silent for years out of fear, not "doubt."
She cited Swalwell’s political power, his legal background and his family’s law enforcement ties as reasons for delaying action.
“It was a politically unusual and intense time in Beverly Hills, and I was considering a run for city council, which placed me in proximity to political figures and events and added to the pressure to remain composed and silent,” she said.
Drewes said Swalwell knew she owned a software company and repeatedly discussed his ability to introduce her to people in Silicon Valley.
She said she was not interested in him romantically, but did see value in the professional relationship and connections he said he could offer.
“I have never doubted what happened,” Drewes said. “I stand with the other women who have come forward, and I will be making a report to law enforcement shortly with my attorneys.”
{{#rendered}}Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., broke off his friendship with Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., saying it "clouded" his judgment and claiming he was "lied to."
“The rumors I heard were that he was just a flirty, social guy. That’s it,” Gallego told a news conference Tuesday afternoon. “And again, I was lied to, and it clouded my judgment.
"Our friendship clouded our judgment every time we went out to dinner, every time our families were together.”
Gallego said he confronted Swalwell only in recent weeks, after allegations began surfacing publicly, and told him to step aside once he read an article alleging misconduct involving a staffer.
“When you’re out with a man, when he is taking his kids to baseball games, when you see them together, you start creating in your head like, that’s not the person you hear,” he said.
He said the turning point came when he read allegations involving a staffer, which he said immediately crossed a line because of the power imbalance.
“That right there is a reason you need to drop out before even anything else, because that was inappropriate,” Gallego said. "It was harassment. He had power over her.”
Gallego said he then called Swalwell and told him, “You need to get out. Get out now.”
Gallege said he now regrets defending Swalwell publicly as rumors circulated, including in a post on X that was “100%” wrong.
“When he asked me to defend him, I acted like a loyal friend,” Gallego said. “I did it, and I regret it. I was absolutely wrong.”
Gallego apologized to the women he said were harmed and called for stronger protections for congressional staff, including an independent reporting structure outside lawmakers’ offices.
“I’m sorry that we didn’t listen closer, and I want to make sure you get justice,” he said.
The scandal has changed how Gallego views rumors and misconduct in Washington, cutting off the relationship with Swalwell.
“There is no friendship,” Gallego said.
Democrat incumbents and candidates in the House and Senate are facing calls from Republicans to return money they received from disgraced Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and many of them have rushed to do so in light of the allegations of sexual assault that caused him to drop out of the California governor race and resign from Congress.
More than a dozen Democrats have returned money received from Swalwell, Politico reported on Monday, including many running in critical battleground races in the House and Senate.
Some of the names who have returned money include North Carolina Senate candidate Roy Cooper, Minnesota Senate candidate Angie Craig and incumbent House Reps. Dan Goldman and Dave Min.
Swalwell's Remedy PAC has given over $20,000 to Democrat candidates in the 2024 cycle and over $170,000 to current Democrats in Congress, and it appears most, if not all, of that money will ultimately be returned, with many announcing the funds will be donated to charities benefiting sexual assault victims.
This is an excerpt from Andrew Mark Miller report. Get the full story here.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., claimed she had "no idea" about Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., allegations until they were officially brought forward in the media.
"You had no idea?" she was asked
“None whatsoever,” she responded.
Pelosi called the disgraced congressman's decision to resign “the right thing to do,” arguing it avoids a public vote and shields his family as the situation unfolds.
Fox News' Adam Pack covered this: Get the full story here.
{{#rendered}}House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Tuesday that Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, made the right decision by resigning.
“I do,” Johnson said when asked whether the lawmakers acted appropriately. “My views have been known about the terrible allegations that were made and obviously the facts that they both admitted to, and I think it was the appropriate thing.”
Johnson did not elaborate further, notably because two more House members face allegations of impropriety, but his comments mark a clear endorsement of the departures as both lawmakers face scrutiny over allegations and admissions tied to their decisions to step down.
FBI Director Kash Patel on Monday invited Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., to sit down with the bureau for an interview after he said he will resign amid sexual misconduct allegations, escalating the pair’s long-running feud.
Patel’s offer came as Swalwell faces mounting scrutiny following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, including a claim from a former aide who said he assaulted her. Swalwell has denied the allegations, while separate ethics and criminal probes are underway.
Patel also urged anyone with relevant information to come forward.
"@EricSwalwell has maintained that none of the allegations against him are true, and now that he’s resigned, we would welcome him to sit down with the FBI and share any information he has," Patel wrote on X. "We also encourage and welcome any person with relevant information to any of these matters to speak with us. Door is open to all."
This is an excerpt from an Ashley Oliver report. Get the full story here.
The billionaire founder of Diamond Resorts, Stephen Cloobeck, is cutting ties with Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and forcing him out of his California mansion after sexual misconduct allegations derailed Swalwell's bid to become the next governor of California.
Cloobeck, who has backed Swalwell since 2017, broke dramatically with Swalwell in interviews with the New York Post and Fox 11 Los Angeles just hours after Swalwell announced he would abandon his campaign.
"I am no longer supporting Eric. F---ing tell everyone I’m a libertarian. F--- you, Democrat Party. I’m a libertarian now," Cloobeck told the Post.
"I am now a Republican," he added to Fox 11 LA.
He confirmed Swalwell would no longer be welcome at his California residence.
"I have a lot of people who stay at my house. I built a gorgeous place, my dream home, I relish it, and I’m a very generous man. I’m very thoughtful and I’m very kind," Cloobeck said.
Cloobeck has donated to Swalwell’s primary and general campaigns, contributing $23,400 from 2017 to 2023. He has also given the Democrat congressman gifts, including a $39,900 flight to Nice, France, according to congressional disclosures.
This is an excerpt from a Leo Briceno report. Get the full story here.
{{#rendered}}Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., escalated pressure on Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., on Tuesday, saying she would continue pursuing a House expulsion resolution if Swalwell had not formally resigned with the Clerk of the House by 2 p.m.
"If Congressman Swalwell has not resigned with the Clerk of the House by 2 PM today, I will continue my resolution regarding his expulsion," Luna wrote Tuesday morning on X, echoing a contrasting call from a Democrat House member on Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas.
"His statement about his 'plan to resign his seat' is not binding and is wormy. The same goes for Tony."
Both announced plans to leave Congress as both lawmakers faced possible expulsion votes tied to separate sexual misconduct allegations.
The timing is significant because of House votes and a slim GOP majority that will stand at 219-214 until the two officially resign.
Swalwell announced Monday that he would resign after denying sexual misconduct allegations but saying he did not want the controversy to distract from his office. Gonzales said he also intended to step down when the House returns from Easter recess Tuesday.
Luna had already been preparing to force a House vote to expel Swalwell, while Democrats were expected to answer with a push against Gonzales. The dueling efforts added to a fast-moving and highly unusual standoff on Capitol Hill over whether the two members would leave on their own before expulsion proceedings advanced.
When Rep.-elect Clay Fuller, R-Ga., is sworn in Tuesday, the House Republican conference will stand at 219, which includes former GOP Rep. Kevin Kiley, I-Calif., who caucuses with the GOP.
But the Democrats might soon boost their ranks by one to 215.
Democrat congressional candidate Analilia Mejia is favored in Thursday's special election in New Jersey's left-leaning 11th Congressional District, the race to fill the seat left vacant when then-Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., stepped down late last year after winning election as governor.
The impending resignations of Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, would put the House GOP majority at 218-214 again if Mejia wins and is sworn in expeditiously.
This report is an excerpt from Paul Steinhauser's latest report. Get the full story here.
Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-N.M., said both Reps. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, and Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., “are not fit to serve in Congress given their sexual transgressions against women who work for them.”
“There’s already been a resolution announced to expel Swalwell that I will support,” Leger Fernandez said. "I will introduce a resolution to expel Rep. Gonzales."
In a separate post that came after the Texas lawmaker made his retirement announcement, she challenged Gonzales to make it “effective immediately.”
“He has until 2PM tomorrow — when we will file his expulsion,” she wrote on X.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
{{#rendered}}Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton warned that Democrat consolidation in California’s governor’s race could leave Republicans shut out of the general election under the state’s top-two primary system.
The departure of Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., from the race could reshape the field if Democrat support shifts to the other top two contenders, former Rep. Katie Porter and businessman Tom Steyer, Hilton told Fox News' "Hannity" on Monday night.
“It’s possible, if we’re not careful, they could rise and then you could be looking at two Democrats in the top two,” Hilton warned, fearing precisely what Democrats had feared when seven major Democrat candidates in the 50-person field would potentially allow the two Republican leaders to finish 1-2 in the June 2 primary.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco was running right behind Hilton in polling, with myriad Democrats splitting the vote in the deep-blue state.
Hilton used the interview to press Republican voters to unite behind his candidacy, casting himself as the party’s strongest option to advance.
President Donald Trump's endorsement should help consolidate Republican backing, Hilton pleaded.
"It's all the more important that Republicans get behind the leading Republican in this race, now endorsed by the president, and that's me," Hilton told host Sean Hannity.
California’s primary system sends the top two vote-getters to the general election regardless of party, raising the possibility that two Democrats could advance in a heavily blue state if the Republican vote is divided.
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., on Monday night hailed momentum for her campaign against embattled lawmakers in the House after the departures of Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, declaring on X: “Two down. Two to go.”
Mace, who has pushed to publicize congressional sexual harassment records, cast the exits as validation of her broader effort to force accountability on Capitol Hill.
In a series of posts, Mace called her shot on Gonzalez, saying Swalwell’s resignation was “the first smart thing he’s done,” asking for Gonzales to be "next" and arguing taxpayer dollars should not be used “to cover up sexual predators or corruption.”
The spotlight now shifts to two other lawmakers facing scrutiny: Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., and Cory Mills, R-Fla., according to The Hill. Their names have moved to the forefront after Swalwell and Gonzales announced plans to leave Congress, easing immediate pressure from a bipartisan expulsion push that had been building against the two men.
Swalwell said he is innocent of the most serious allegation against him but resigned to fight it privately. Gonzales said he would file for retirement when Congress returns Tuesday.
Mace has framed the moment as part of a broader crusade in the House, noting that 357 lawmakers voted against her resolution to expose members’ sexual harassment records.
"We don't care what party you're in," Mace wrote Monday in a news release. "Stealing millions in taxpayer dollars, sexually assaulting your staff, lying about your service record, none of it is acceptable and none of it goes unnoticed.
"Dropping out of a race is not accountability. Every one of them needs to resign immediately. The American people deserve a Congress worthy of their trust. The House needs to be cleaned out, and it starts with these four."
Cherfilus-McCormick was found guilty of 25 ethics charges, accused of stealing $5 million in FEMA funds.
"Taxpayer dollars STOLEN," Mace wrote.
Cory Mills has been accused of assaulting women, profiting off federal contracts from his seat, and inflating or falsifying his military service record, according to Mace.
"Congress has serious moral and ethical problems and these four are the face of it," Mace concluded. "Washington has protected its own for too long. It needs to end now. We're calling on these four to resign or face expulsion."
Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell’s exit from the California gubernatorial race comes as the party tries to avoid being shut out of the November ballot under the state’s top-two primary system.
Swalwell suspended his campaign and said he would resign from Congress following sexual assault allegations he has denied. His departure upended one of the nation’s most closely watched governor’s races just weeks before California voters begin receiving mail ballots for the June 2 primary.
Swalwell had been viewed as one of the strongest Democrat contenders to replace term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom in a crowded field of more than 50 candidates. His withdrawal leaves Democrats searching for a clearer path to the general election in a race where the party’s vote has been split among several major contenders.
Several lawmakers who had backed Swalwell moved quickly to endorse billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer, including Assemblymembers Nick Schultz and Corey Jackson. Steyer, who has spent heavily on advertising, has sought to position himself as a leading Democrat in the field.
On the Republican side, conservative commentator Steve Hilton remains one of the leading contenders alongside Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. Republicans did not unite behind a single candidate at their state convention, and the race remains crowded on both sides.
The remaining Democrat candidates vying for Swalwell's former backers include former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan.
Swalwell’s name will remain on the ballot despite the end of his campaign. He has said he will fight what he called “serious, false allegations.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
{{#rendered}}Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, abruptly announced his decision to resign from Congress Monday evening amid calls for him to step aside after admitting to sexual misconduct with a staffer earlier this year.
The embattled lawmaker was facing an anticipated expulsion vote that could occur as early as this week.
"There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all. When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office," Gonzales wrote on social media. "It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas."
This is an excerpt from an Adam Pack report. Get the full story here.
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., announced he was planning to resign from Congress following sexual misconduct allegations, leading top Senate Democrats like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., to praise the decision.
Meanwhile, Republicans are questioning how much top Democrats knew before the final ball dropped Monday with Swalwell's resignation, which came just days after he suspended his California gubernatorial campaign.
Swalwell said Monday that he was "deeply sorry" to his family, staff and constituents for his "mistakes," but stood headstrong in calling the sexual misconduct and abuse allegations against him "false."
This is an excerpt from an Alec Schemmel report. Get the full story here.
One of Rep. Eric Swalwell's, D-Calif., closest friends in Congress is putting distance between himself and the lawmaker, contending he had no idea about the bombshell accusations of sexual assault that have surfaced against the former gubernatorial candidate.
"I want to be clear: I had no knowledge of the allegations of assault, harassment, and predatory behavior against Eric Swalwell," Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., said in a statement.
"The women who have come forward have shown courage," he continued. "They deserve to be believed, to be supported, and to see justice served."
This is an excerpt from an Alex Miller report. Get the full story here.
{{#rendered}}Andrew Yang, who ran against Eric Swalwell during the crowded 2020 Democratic primary for president, questioned why his one-time rival had ever thought he could win an election for some of the highest offices in the land, shortly before he announced on Monday that he was resigning his House seat.
Yang slammed Swalwell's political career as "lightweight," arguing he is not "an intellect or deep policy thinker," and described the California congressman as someone whose actions reflect a stronger desire to get ahead than fighting for what he believes is right.
"Eric made the first debate in 2019, which he spent challenging Joe Biden to ‘pass the torch’ and quoting Joe in his first Senate campaign saying that the incumbent was too old and out of touch and it was time to give way to the next generation. Joe came up to him during a commercial break, took Eric by both lapels, and said to him 'nice try, I’m not going anywhere.' Eric then dropped out a few days later," Yang recounted in his post.
"After 2020, Eric became a fixture on cable news programs, particularly MSNBC and CNN, mouthing Democratic talking points. He burnished his social media following. In 2024, when Joe Biden’s age became one of the central issues of the day and Dean Phillips tried to force a primary, Eric was nowhere to be found. He had gotten the message that being a good partisan soldier was a better path."
This is an excerpt from an Alec Schemmel report. Read it in full here.
Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, announced Monday they will resign from Congress after sexual misconduct allegations sparked bipartisan calls for their ouster, delivering a rare double blow to a House already operating with a razor-thin majority.
Swalwell said he plans to contest the allegations but acknowledged the uproar had become a distraction to his constituents and effectively ended his run for governor.
“Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong,” he said. “But it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties.”
Gonzales said he would formally retire Tuesday when the House returns from Easter recess, giving both parties a same-day political headache but little immediate change in the balance of power because each seat is expected to stay in party hands.
Rep.-elect Clay Fuller, R-Ga., will be sworn in Tuesday, and a Democrat is favored to win a special election in New Jersey on Thursday.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Live Coverage begins here