Los Angeles County DA reviews possible rape charges against former Rep. Eric Swalwell
Los Angeles County District Attorney’s sex crimes unit announced on Oct. 16, 2026 that it is reviewing a criminal rape case involving former U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell.
The review follows a referral from the Los Angeles County sheriff’s victims unit, which completed its own investigation and transferred its findings to the district attorney’s office on Sept. 21, 2026. The DA’s office said it is weighing whether to file criminal charges.
The allegation comes from Lonna Drewes, a former model and owner of a fashion‑software company, who testified that Swalwell drugged her drink during a 2018 meeting, then took her to a hotel room where he raped and choked her until she lost consciousness. Drewes told reporters, “He raped me and he choked me, and while he was choking me, I lost consciousness and I thought I died.” She also said she recorded the incidents in a handwritten calendar and later discussed them during therapy sessions.
Swalwell’s attorney responded by declaring his client “innocent” and asserting that the allegations are “flat false,” adding that “the facts will bear that out.” The attorney emphasized that a referral to the DA is a standard procedural step and does not constitute a finding of wrongdoing.
The case arrives months after a series of federal inquiries into Swalwell’s conduct that culminated in his resignation from Congress in April 2026. Earlier reporting noted that FBI agents seized Swalwell’s phone and laptop at San Francisco International Airport in August and searched his Washington, D.C., residence the following day as part of a criminal investigation into sexual‑misconduct allegations.
A spokesperson for the DA’s sex crimes unit told NBC News that prosecutors are still assessing the evidence and have not reached a charging decision. The spokesperson clarified that the investigation remains ongoing and that any future action will depend on the strength of the evidence.
The district attorney is expected to make a determination in the coming weeks, after which formal charges could be filed or the case could be closed without indictment.
