Swalwell, Gonzales announce resignations in wake of allegations, shaking up Congress
Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, said Monday they will both resign from Congress in lieu of facing expulsion following sexual misconduct allegations. Swalwell vows to fight the allegations but said he must also "take responsibility and ownership" of his mistakes.
By Eric Mack | Fox News
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.
Woman accuses Swalwell of rape in 2018, saying she will file police report.
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.”
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