California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell has resigned from Congress, ending his bid for governor. This decision comes after a woman accused him of drging and se*ually assaulting her.
This is not the first time; he has been accused of multiple misconduct allegations in recent times. Although Swalwell issued an apology for what he described as past mistakes in judgment, he has denied wrongdoing and has vowed to fight the allegations against him.
As reported by The Mirror, in a letter read by a House clerk, Swalwell wrote: "I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I've made in my past. I will fight the serious false allegations made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I made."
He later added, "I plan to resign my seat in Congress effective at 2 P.M. Eastern time on April 14, 2026. I will work with my staff in the coming days to ensure they are able, and my absence to serve the needs of the good people of the 14th congressional district."
According to the BBC, Lonna Drewes alleged that Swalwell drged and ra*ed her in a hotel room.
Sara Azari, Swalwell's attorney, has stated, "These accusations are false, fabricated, and deeply offensive - a calculated and transparent political hit job."
She also claimed, "The timing, nature, and coordinated rollout of these vile and heinous allegations speak for themselves. This is neither about justice nor the truth."
According to ABC7, Drewes met Swalwell in 2018, and the incident occurred during their third meeting.
Drewes alleged that Swalwell told her he needed to return to his hotel room because he forgot something. She further alleged that he assaulted her. She said she had only had one glass of wine, but by the time she reached her hotel room, she could not move. This made her believe she was drged.
She said, "While he was ching me I lost consciousness, and I thought I dd," adding, "I did not consent to any se*ual activity."
Lisa Bloom, Drewes' attorney, has called Swalwell's announcement "blather and spin." Bloom said three other women have contacted her with allegations against Swalwell.
This was followed by four women filing complaints against Swalwell last week, which sparked a congressional ethics inquiry.
Fox News reported that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis slammed Democratic leadership for not taking action sooner.
DeSantis wrote, "The Democrat Party was aware of this guy's behavior but never said anything until the party was threatened with getting shut out of the governor race."
Madison Cawthorn, a former Republican congressman, hinted there may be others facing similar allegations.
He wrote on X, "I warned you all about what goes on in Washington. Why is everyone acting surprised?"