L.A. Prosecutors Review Case Against Former Rep. Eric Swalwell for Possible Criminal Charges

Los Angeles County prosecutors are reviewing a case involving former U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell to determine whether criminal charges are warranted. The county district attorney’s sex-crimes unit received the matter on September 21 following an investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department victims’ unit, a spokesperson confirmed to NBC News.

Swalwell, a California Democrat, resigned from Congress in April and withdrew from the state’s gubernatorial race after multiple allegations of sexual assault and misconduct. He has denied the allegations. An attorney for Swalwell said he is innocent, that the allegations are false, and that the facts will bear that out. The attorney described the referral as a standard procedural step that is not a charging decision or a finding of wrongdoing.

One complainant, Lonna Drewes, publicly alleged in April that Swalwell drugged, raped, and choked her in 2018. Other allegations have included claims by a former staffer. The FBI previously searched Swalwell’s Washington, D.C., home and seized electronic devices in connection with a related investigation.

Prosecutors have not announced whether they will file charges. Swalwell’s office and attorneys have maintained that he will be vindicated by a fair review. The case remains under consideration as of October 17.