WE really need to get rid of this guy
- Thread starter Retired_Can_Soldier
- Start date
She has skeletons in her closet , they will eventually surface . I see the NDP floor crosser has ethics issues regarding her company and government largess . I am sure it was suggested that it will be buried if she crossed the floor .
It also means we get a majority government that we didn't vote for.The shameless hypocrisy of Tory turncoat Marilyn Gladu
Her own words: "The whole point of being an MP is to represent your constituents."
Author of the article:Lorrie Goldstein
Published Apr 08, 2026 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read
Liberal MP for Sarnia-Lambton-Bkejwanong Marilyn Gladu
Liberal MP for Sarnia-Lambton-Bkejwanong Marilyn Gladu smiles as she speaks during a photo op in the prime minister's office in Ottawa on April 8, 2026. Photo by Adrian Wyld /The Canadian Press
The two-faced hypocrisy MP Marilyn Gladu demonstrated on Wednesday, in abandoning the Conservatives for the Liberals, is shocking even when considering the ever-malleable “political principles” of floor-crossers in general.
On Jan. 11, the then-Conservative MP for Sarnia-Lambton-Bkejwanong since 2015 told her local Petrolia Lambton Independent newspaper she supported an automatic byelection for any MP defecting to another party.
She was commenting in support of a petition sponsored by her then fellow Conservative MP, Lianne Rood, which said that, “unrestricted floor-crossing can erode voter trust amid rising political corruption and scandals” and that voters “deserve immediate accountability when an MP switches to another party mid-term, potentially altering Parliament’s balance without endorsement.”
Gladu told the Independent:
“Really, the whole point of being an MP is to represent your constituents. So if they’re voting you in under one platform – for you to switch for whatever reasons, just seems to me to not be representing what you’re supposed to be there to represent.
“We elected you under this banner, and if you don’t want to be under that banner, then we deserve a chance to have a redo.”
Compare that to her social media post on X on Wednesday announcing she was, “Proud to be the newest member of our new Liberal Government” — without a byelection — declaring “I have made a choice to do the best thing for our community’s priorities, and importantly, for our country.”
This in a riding where Conservative voters elected Gladu four times from 2015 to 2025, winning 53.2% of the vote in last year’s election, almost 12,000 votes ahead of the Liberal candidate, her closest competitor.
After the Liberals chose Carney as their leader last March, Gladu, as reported by The Canadian Press, posted a video on social media saying he was part of the “disastrous mess” of inflation she blamed on Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government adding:
“I don’t see that he is going to bring any change at all.”
On Wednesday, she boasted that as a professional engineer for Dow Chemical, “the experience I gained working globally across many sectors will be important to help our Prime Minister continue to deliver on the big priorities he is driving forward. To build the nation at speeds not seen before, create jobs for a prosperous future, build our defence, diversify our trade, build more homes, help lower costs for Canadians and combat crime.”
As a Conservative, Gladu opposed vaccine mandates, pot legalization, the Liberals’ anti-hate legislation, ban on conversion therapy and Justin Trudeau’s imposition of the Emergencies Act, while supporting the trucker convoy.
She backed Pierre Poilievre’s successful campaign for the Conservative leadership in 2022, and when he won wrote:
“Congratulations to my friend Pierre Poilievre, our new Conservative Party of Canada leader!
“I am proud to have supported him every step of the way, and looking forward to uniting our party under his leadership.”
In reality, Gladu, along with fellow Tory turncoats Chris d’Entremont, Michael Ma, and Matt Jeneroux, has ensured Carney will emerge from Monday’s three byelections with a majority government of up to 174 seats compared to 169 for the combined opposition parties in the 343-seat Commons.
The four Conservative defections also mean more political trouble for Poilievre within his own party, despite winning his recent leadership review with 87.4% support from party delegates.
In February 2022, the Conservative caucus voted to remove previous party leader Erin O’Toole by a vote of 73-45 under the Reform Act passed in 2015.
Gladu backs call for automatic by-elections for MPs who switch parties | The Independent
petrolialambtonindependent.ca
GOLDSTEIN: The shameless hypocrisy of Tory turncoat Marilyn Gladu
On Jan. 11, the then-Conservative MP told her local newspaper she supported an automatic byelection for any MP defecting to another party.torontosun.com
Marilyn Gladu described questionable encounters, conversations in 2020 book
Now-former Ontario Conservative MP crossed floor to join Mark Carney's Liberals on Wednesday
Author of the article:Spiro Papuckoski
Published Apr 08, 2026 • Last updated 1 day ago • 4 minute read
Conservative Party of Canada candidate Marilyn Gladu speaks during an all-candidates meeting in Wyoming, Ont., April 9, 2025.
Conservative Party of Canada candidate Marilyn Gladu speaks during an all-candidates meeting in Wyoming, Ont., April 9, 2025. Photo by Paul Morden / Sarnia Observer / Files /Postmedia Network
Marilyn Gladu, who crossed the floor to join Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberals on Wednesday from the Conservatives, described in her 2020 book some of the questionable encounters and conversations she has had during her travels around the world.
Gladu, who has been the member of Parliament representing the Ontario riding of Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong since 2015, published Tales of the Globe Trot during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s described as a “collection of experiences from a 36-year journey of a tall blond chemical engineer travelling alone” and includes stories that begin in the mid-1980s through to 2020.
In the book, she details travelling to exotic locales such as Brazil, Thailand, Indonesia and Aruba and other jaunts throughout the U.S., Europe and Canada.
“I had originally thought just my family and friends might want to read this book,” Gladu told the Sarnia Observer at the time, “but the editor said, ‘You have a great voice, it’s funny and I think it will have broader appeal.'”
However, the 64-year-old Gladu also detailed drinking and driving in her early 20s, visiting a suspected drug dealer’s property in Colombia and a trip to a Bangkok night market full of drug addicts and prostitutes.
Current seat totals in the House of Commons.
Current seat totals in the House of Commons. Photo by Toronto Sun graphic
Drinking and driving in Bermuda
In the book’s first chapter, Gladu opened up about being a new graduate of chemical engineering and set to start a job in Sarnia. But a friend invited her on a trip to her family’s property in Bermuda for a week after she completed her exams.
After a few days soaking up the sun, she and her friend toured parts of the island on motorcycles before grabbing drinks at the Swizzle Inn — which featured an alcoholic drink of rum mixed with pineapple and orange juice.
“I had grown increasingly fond of Gosling’s Rum, and the many cool drinks they’d invented,” Gladu wrote.
Gladu wrote that she and her friend grabbed a swizzle pitcher and played a few games of darts.
“I never did figure out why alcohol and sharp-object projectiles were favoured together, but in any case, we finished up our swizzles and mounted up our cycles,” she continued.
“In later years I would reflect back on this, in the aftermath of the rise of the Mothers Against Drunk Drivers movement, but in 1984, everyone was doing it.”
Colombian drug dealer’s property?
At age 26, Gladu wrote that she felt doomed to be single the rest of her life, but decided to make it more interesting by taking a trip to Colombia.
After arriving at the resort she booked, Gladu wrote that she met entertainment director Reuben. She was informed about an excursion to a coffee plantation that would also make a stop at a private lagoon to spend time at the beach.
At the beach, she wrote, she asked why there were no other people around.
“Well, the guy who owns it is an exporter, but he only needs it at night, so he lets us use it through the day,” Reuben replied.
Gladu wrote that she immediately sensed the property’s owner wasn’t just a simple businessman.
“Think about it. Colombia,” she wrote. “An exporter who only uses it at night. If that doesn’t spell drugs, I don’t know what does.
“Oh well, it was a perfect beach day, and I decided to roll with it.”
Escaped winter to Louisiana
The year before, Gladu wrote that she went on a business trip to Louisiana in February and decided to book an earlier flight to spend more time in the sunshine.
After checking into a Baton Rouge hotel, she went to the pool to relax. There she met a hotel employee vacuuming the pool. He was described as a “burly” Black man “with a nice smile and bright white teeth.”
The worker found it odd that she was tanning in the cold weather and asked where she was from. After informing him she was Canadian, she wrote that they struck up a conversation.
“He asked me about the reason for my visit and told me some of the places I might want to go while I was in town,” she wrote. “I asked if he had children, and he laughed and said he wasn’t married.”
Thailand night market
In 2004, Gladu wrote that said she was preparing for a trip to Asia that would span three weeks and begin in Netherlands.
After arriving in Thailand, Gladu wrote that she met a man named David in Bangkok who described himself as the general manager for Just For Men Haircare for the Asia-Pacific market.
They wrote that they struck up a conversation and he eventually wound up chaperoning her to a night market, where she purchased gifts for everyone on her list including her dentist. They then went to a local bar to grab a drink.
“I looked around the bar,” she wrote. “It was a host to drug addicts, prostitutes, and the general scum of the earth.
“‘Nice place,’ I said to David. I knew I should be more worried, but my instincts were that David was a good sort. He had a daughter about my age, and I thought that boded well.”
Sarnia MP's book tells tales of her global travels
Having extra time on her hands because of the pandemic shutdown allowed Sarnia-Lambton MP Marilyn Glade to check “write a book” off her to-do list.
Tales of the Globe Trot at the FriesenPress Bookstore
Crickets. Self-defense. Exotic destinations. Tales of the Globetrot is a collection of experiences from a 36 year journey of a tall blond chemical engineer travelling alone. Marilyn Gladu is a federal Member of Parliament who has been a pioneer—the...
books.friesenpress.com
Marilyn Gladu described questionable encounters, conversations in 2020 book
Floor-crossing MP Marilyn Gladu described in her 2020 book some of the encounters and conversations she has had during her travels. More.
Majority Liberal government in place. Sure wish that would be a good thing.
Ex-Woodstock mayor pleads guilty in sexual assault case
The plea comes as a retrial was set to begin in a long-running case.
Author of the article:Jane Sims
Published Apr 13, 2026 • Last updated 21 hours ago • 4 minute read
Former Woodstock mayor Trevor Birtch returns to the London courthouse following a lunch break at his sexual assault trial on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (Derek Ruttan/London Free Press)
Former Woodstock mayor Trevor Birtch returns to the London courthouse following a lunch break at his sexual assault trial on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (Derek Ruttan/London Free Press)
By pleading guilty, embattled former Woodstock Mayor Trevor Birtch completed a very long journey through the criminal justice system to end up practically where he started.
Monday was supposed to be the start of a four-day re-trial for Birtch, 50, on two charges – sexual assault and assault of a former girlfriend. He was originally convicted of those two charges in August 2024 after a trial before Superior Court Justice Michael Carnegie, who later declared a mistrial over Crown disclosure issues.
But instead of a re-trial, Birtch pleaded guilty in front of Superior Court Justice Marc Garson to the two charges. His sentencing for Monday’s convictions is scheduled for June and, if all falls into place, will finally close out years of court appearances, trials, mistrials and various twists and turns worthy of a soap opera, all stemming from his rather complicated personal life while he was still Woodstock’s top-elected official.
It almost requires a flow chart to keep track of Birtch’s court cases. His first sexual assault charges – the charges that were the subject of Monday’s hearing – were laid in early 2022 involving a woman who was 45 at the time of the first trial and was in an intimate relationship with him in 2020 and 2021.
More charges were laid in April 2022 involving a vulnerable woman with physical and mental health issues who was 39 at Birtch’s second trial and was also involved in a personal relationship with the then-mayor on and off from 2017 to 2021.
Carnegie later declared a mistrial because evidence involving a third party who recorded conversations with Birtch, presented as evidence at his second trial in September 2024, hadn’t been properly disclosed to the defence and could have been relevant at the first trial.
The second trial had some startling revelations, including the victim’s testimony that Birtch used cocaine during Zoom city council meetings during the pandemic and that the complainant was often drunk or high when she was violently assaulted by him.
Birtch is to be sentenced on May 18 by Superior Court Justice Spencer Nicholson, who said in his decision convicting Birtch of two counts of sexual assault that the former mayor was “an obvious liar.” At a sentencing hearing earlier this year, the Crown argued for a six-year prison sentence, while the defence suggested 3.5 years.
And there was more. After two terms in office and criminal charges swirling, Birtch was trounced at the polls in October 2022. A year later, he was charged after a two-vehicle crash in Oxford County on the same day he was involved in another incident with a girlfriend and others in London.
Charges flowed from both incidents. Birtch pleaded guilty in Woodstock in February 2025 to having more than 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood and was handed a 90-day conditional sentence, 12 months of probation and a 12-month driving ban.
Another trial on two charges of assault and one charge of unlawful entry was started in the Ontario Court of Justice in London in 2025, but ended in a mistrial when Birtch’s former defence lawyer was disbarred. Those charges have since been withdrawn by the Crown.
The identities of all three women in the cases are protected by court-ordered publication bans.
That brought Birtch to Monday, where he was represented by defence lawyer Shayne Stroud and entered his guilty pleas before Garson.
Assistant Crown attorney Artem Orlov told Garson the matter was resolved and requested sentencing be scheduled after Nicholson’s decision.
For Monday’s convictions, there is an expected joint sentencing submission for custodial time, which Birtch would serve at the same time as any other sentence.
Orlov said the only sticking point is a probation order. The Crown wants one, while the defence opposes it.
Orlov presented a brief agreed statement of facts. The sexual assault conviction stemmed from a Valentine’s Day getaway in 2021 to the Idlewyld Inn and Spa in London. Late in the evening, Birtch “attempted to get the victim to engage in sexual activities” when they were in bed.
The victim refused, told Birtch she was tired “and did not want to engage in any sexual acts at that time.” Birtch turned his back on her and began to kick her off the bed. Then he got up and pulled the victim out of bed and onto the floor by her hair.
The victim slept on the floor. She had soreness to her head and legs. The incident constituted a sexual assault, Orlov said, citing case law.
The assault conviction was in connection with a country drive in the summer of 2021. The couple stopped at a rural church near Tavistock and Birtch “attempted to engage the victim in sexual activity, but the victim declined.”
The woman left the car to relieve herself and Birtch drove away, leaving her stranded. He returned and took her home. She asked Birtch to come inside, but he told her to get out.
The victim stayed in the car to talk and Birtch got out of the driver’s side, went to the passenger’s side and grabbed her legs, bent her shoulders, pulled her out and threw her on the ground. She suffered a bruised right knee and scrapes on her elbow, along with bruising consistent with two finger marks on her upper arm.
After the victim spoke to both the Woodstock and London police in January and February 2022, Birtch turned himself in and was released on an undertaking.
Birtch is to be sentenced on June 16.
jsims@postmedia.com
torontosun.com
The plea comes as a retrial was set to begin in a long-running case.
Author of the article:Jane Sims
Published Apr 13, 2026 • Last updated 21 hours ago • 4 minute read
Former Woodstock mayor Trevor Birtch returns to the London courthouse following a lunch break at his sexual assault trial on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (Derek Ruttan/London Free Press)
Former Woodstock mayor Trevor Birtch returns to the London courthouse following a lunch break at his sexual assault trial on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (Derek Ruttan/London Free Press)
By pleading guilty, embattled former Woodstock Mayor Trevor Birtch completed a very long journey through the criminal justice system to end up practically where he started.
Monday was supposed to be the start of a four-day re-trial for Birtch, 50, on two charges – sexual assault and assault of a former girlfriend. He was originally convicted of those two charges in August 2024 after a trial before Superior Court Justice Michael Carnegie, who later declared a mistrial over Crown disclosure issues.
But instead of a re-trial, Birtch pleaded guilty in front of Superior Court Justice Marc Garson to the two charges. His sentencing for Monday’s convictions is scheduled for June and, if all falls into place, will finally close out years of court appearances, trials, mistrials and various twists and turns worthy of a soap opera, all stemming from his rather complicated personal life while he was still Woodstock’s top-elected official.
It almost requires a flow chart to keep track of Birtch’s court cases. His first sexual assault charges – the charges that were the subject of Monday’s hearing – were laid in early 2022 involving a woman who was 45 at the time of the first trial and was in an intimate relationship with him in 2020 and 2021.
More charges were laid in April 2022 involving a vulnerable woman with physical and mental health issues who was 39 at Birtch’s second trial and was also involved in a personal relationship with the then-mayor on and off from 2017 to 2021.
Carnegie later declared a mistrial because evidence involving a third party who recorded conversations with Birtch, presented as evidence at his second trial in September 2024, hadn’t been properly disclosed to the defence and could have been relevant at the first trial.
The second trial had some startling revelations, including the victim’s testimony that Birtch used cocaine during Zoom city council meetings during the pandemic and that the complainant was often drunk or high when she was violently assaulted by him.
Birtch is to be sentenced on May 18 by Superior Court Justice Spencer Nicholson, who said in his decision convicting Birtch of two counts of sexual assault that the former mayor was “an obvious liar.” At a sentencing hearing earlier this year, the Crown argued for a six-year prison sentence, while the defence suggested 3.5 years.
And there was more. After two terms in office and criminal charges swirling, Birtch was trounced at the polls in October 2022. A year later, he was charged after a two-vehicle crash in Oxford County on the same day he was involved in another incident with a girlfriend and others in London.
Charges flowed from both incidents. Birtch pleaded guilty in Woodstock in February 2025 to having more than 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood and was handed a 90-day conditional sentence, 12 months of probation and a 12-month driving ban.
Another trial on two charges of assault and one charge of unlawful entry was started in the Ontario Court of Justice in London in 2025, but ended in a mistrial when Birtch’s former defence lawyer was disbarred. Those charges have since been withdrawn by the Crown.
The identities of all three women in the cases are protected by court-ordered publication bans.
That brought Birtch to Monday, where he was represented by defence lawyer Shayne Stroud and entered his guilty pleas before Garson.
Assistant Crown attorney Artem Orlov told Garson the matter was resolved and requested sentencing be scheduled after Nicholson’s decision.
For Monday’s convictions, there is an expected joint sentencing submission for custodial time, which Birtch would serve at the same time as any other sentence.
Orlov said the only sticking point is a probation order. The Crown wants one, while the defence opposes it.
Orlov presented a brief agreed statement of facts. The sexual assault conviction stemmed from a Valentine’s Day getaway in 2021 to the Idlewyld Inn and Spa in London. Late in the evening, Birtch “attempted to get the victim to engage in sexual activities” when they were in bed.
The victim refused, told Birtch she was tired “and did not want to engage in any sexual acts at that time.” Birtch turned his back on her and began to kick her off the bed. Then he got up and pulled the victim out of bed and onto the floor by her hair.
The victim slept on the floor. She had soreness to her head and legs. The incident constituted a sexual assault, Orlov said, citing case law.
The assault conviction was in connection with a country drive in the summer of 2021. The couple stopped at a rural church near Tavistock and Birtch “attempted to engage the victim in sexual activity, but the victim declined.”
The woman left the car to relieve herself and Birtch drove away, leaving her stranded. He returned and took her home. She asked Birtch to come inside, but he told her to get out.
The victim stayed in the car to talk and Birtch got out of the driver’s side, went to the passenger’s side and grabbed her legs, bent her shoulders, pulled her out and threw her on the ground. She suffered a bruised right knee and scrapes on her elbow, along with bruising consistent with two finger marks on her upper arm.
After the victim spoke to both the Woodstock and London police in January and February 2022, Birtch turned himself in and was released on an undertaking.
Birtch is to be sentenced on June 16.
jsims@postmedia.com
Ex-Woodstock mayor pleads guilty in sexual assault case
The plea comes as a retrial was set to begin in a long-running case.
No, not unless Liberals (a few of them) vote with every other opposition party. It’s a Numbers game.can a majority government be toppled?
They do not have a solid majority . The speaker can only vote to break a tie and Carney is never in the house and cannot vote via video if he is out of the country . Expect Carney to drop the writ to ride his popularity to a solid majority .
Fifth accuser speaks out after Eric Swalwell announces resignation: 'HE RAPED ME'
One woman recalled how her relationship with Swalwell was initially that of a mentor — before he asked for her Snapchat
Author of the articleenette Wilford
Published Apr 14, 2026 • Last updated 11 hours ago • 4 minute read
Accusers of Rep. Eric Swalwell appear on CBS News.
Accusers of Rep. Eric Swalwell appear on CBS News, (L-R) Ally Sammarco, Annika Albrecht and influencer Cheyenne Hunt. Photo by CBS News /X
A new accuser has emerged amid the sexual assault and misconduct allegations against Eric Swalwell as the politician’s professional ambitions have quickly unravelled in recent days.
Lonna Drewes is the fifth woman to come forward with disturbing claims against the Democratic congressman who was once vying to be the next governor of California.
“He raped me, and he choked me. And while he was choking me, I lost consciousness. And I thought I died,” Drewes, a former model and software company owner, revealed during a press conference on Tuesday alongside her attorney Lisa Bloom.
“I did not consent to any sexual activity,” she added.
Drewes noted that she did not undergo a rape kit at the time but detailed that she told her loved ones what happened, had also recorded what happened in a handwritten calendar and opened up about the alleged trauma in therapy.
She also said that she was in a relationship at the time of the alleged assault and would never cheat on her boyfriend.
“It had a profound impact on my mental health, I self-medicated in an unhealthy way. I did not want to live anymore. I cried all the time for years,” she detailed of the alleged assault.
“I would never have engaged in a consensual sexual encounter with Eric Swalwell.”
Drews’ accusations comes after two other women appeared on CBS News in what they said was an effort to stop him from harming “future victims” as the Democratic congressman announced he will resign in the wake of allegations of sexual assault and other misconduct from multiple women.
Ally Sammarco and Annika Albrecht told the outlet they felt partly vindicated after Swalwell abruptly resigned from Congress late Monday after dropping out of California’s gubernatorial race amid the allegations.
“He thought he was untouchable. He acted with total impunity. He never thought that the consequences of his actions would follow him,” Sammarco said.
“I think we just prevented another 30 to 40 years, potentially, of him harming people if he were to stay in Congress.”
The social media creator added: “As governor, he would have had even more power and more authority. And he would have felt vindicated too, you know, that he could run for higher office.”
Albrecht, who broke her silence for the first time in the interview, said justice wouldn’t be served for her “until he can’t ever harm a woman ever again — and he has faced the consequences for the women that he has harmed.”
How relationship with Swalwell began
She recalled how her relationship with Swalwell was initially that of a mentor and mentee — before he asked for her Snapchat.
Albrecht claimed the messages soon became “sexually inappropriate,” with the politician inviting her to a hotel.
“I keep thinking about how lucky I am that didn’t go to that hotel. It was very clear what the connotation was,” Albrecht told CBS News, adding she immediately ended contact.
Another woman, who has not been publicly identified, accused Swalwell of sexually assaulting her in a New York City hotel room in 2024.
She claimed she was heavily intoxicated and woke up in her room after a charity gala to find Swalwell assaulting her.
“I was pushing him off of me, saying no,” the woman, who no longer worked at Swalwell’s office at the time of the alleged assault, told CNN. “He didn’t stop.”
Albrecht said she had spoken to some of Swalwell’s other accusers in recent days.
“It was terrifying to get on the phone with those women and hear their stories about how they were drinking with him and suddenly woke up in bed next to him with no recollection of how they got there,” she said.
Swalwell stepping down amid pressure from the House
The disgraced congressman made his resignation announcement late Monday afternoon, hours after he revealed he was exiting the race for California governor amid the brewing scandal.
“I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members,” Swalwell said in a statement. “Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong. But it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress.”
On Friday, several women came out in reports from CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle, accusing the politician of sexual misconduct, including sending explicit messages and nude photos.
Tony Gonzales also resigning
Swalwell’s resignation came about an hour before fellow congressman Tony Gonzales announced he was stepping down amid his own misconduct scandal.
Gonzales had previously decided not to run for reelection over his relationship with a former staffer who died by suicide last year.
Swalwell, meanwhile, has denied the allegations, though admitted to past “mistakes in judgment.”
“I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” he said Monday on social media.
“I will fight the serious false allegation made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make.”
The House was expected to vote in the coming days on whether to expel Swalwell, though it was unclear whether it had the two-thirds majority support it needed to successfully remove him from office.
Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, who was leading the expulsion effort, said Swalwell made the right decision to resign ahead of the vote to remove him — but said it wasn’t over.
“He made the correct decision, but there still needs to be a full-fledged criminal investigation,” Luna said.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office confirmed to CBS News on Sunday that it is investigating allegations against Swalwell.
cbsnews.com
torontosun.com
One woman recalled how her relationship with Swalwell was initially that of a mentor — before he asked for her Snapchat
Author of the article
enette WilfordPublished Apr 14, 2026 • Last updated 11 hours ago • 4 minute read
Accusers of Rep. Eric Swalwell appear on CBS News.
Accusers of Rep. Eric Swalwell appear on CBS News, (L-R) Ally Sammarco, Annika Albrecht and influencer Cheyenne Hunt. Photo by CBS News /X
A new accuser has emerged amid the sexual assault and misconduct allegations against Eric Swalwell as the politician’s professional ambitions have quickly unravelled in recent days.
Lonna Drewes is the fifth woman to come forward with disturbing claims against the Democratic congressman who was once vying to be the next governor of California.
“He raped me, and he choked me. And while he was choking me, I lost consciousness. And I thought I died,” Drewes, a former model and software company owner, revealed during a press conference on Tuesday alongside her attorney Lisa Bloom.
“I did not consent to any sexual activity,” she added.
Drewes noted that she did not undergo a rape kit at the time but detailed that she told her loved ones what happened, had also recorded what happened in a handwritten calendar and opened up about the alleged trauma in therapy.
She also said that she was in a relationship at the time of the alleged assault and would never cheat on her boyfriend.
“It had a profound impact on my mental health, I self-medicated in an unhealthy way. I did not want to live anymore. I cried all the time for years,” she detailed of the alleged assault.
“I would never have engaged in a consensual sexual encounter with Eric Swalwell.”
Drews’ accusations comes after two other women appeared on CBS News in what they said was an effort to stop him from harming “future victims” as the Democratic congressman announced he will resign in the wake of allegations of sexual assault and other misconduct from multiple women.
Ally Sammarco and Annika Albrecht told the outlet they felt partly vindicated after Swalwell abruptly resigned from Congress late Monday after dropping out of California’s gubernatorial race amid the allegations.
“He thought he was untouchable. He acted with total impunity. He never thought that the consequences of his actions would follow him,” Sammarco said.
“I think we just prevented another 30 to 40 years, potentially, of him harming people if he were to stay in Congress.”
The social media creator added: “As governor, he would have had even more power and more authority. And he would have felt vindicated too, you know, that he could run for higher office.”
Albrecht, who broke her silence for the first time in the interview, said justice wouldn’t be served for her “until he can’t ever harm a woman ever again — and he has faced the consequences for the women that he has harmed.”
How relationship with Swalwell began
She recalled how her relationship with Swalwell was initially that of a mentor and mentee — before he asked for her Snapchat.
Albrecht claimed the messages soon became “sexually inappropriate,” with the politician inviting her to a hotel.
“I keep thinking about how lucky I am that didn’t go to that hotel. It was very clear what the connotation was,” Albrecht told CBS News, adding she immediately ended contact.
Another woman, who has not been publicly identified, accused Swalwell of sexually assaulting her in a New York City hotel room in 2024.
She claimed she was heavily intoxicated and woke up in her room after a charity gala to find Swalwell assaulting her.
“I was pushing him off of me, saying no,” the woman, who no longer worked at Swalwell’s office at the time of the alleged assault, told CNN. “He didn’t stop.”
Albrecht said she had spoken to some of Swalwell’s other accusers in recent days.
“It was terrifying to get on the phone with those women and hear their stories about how they were drinking with him and suddenly woke up in bed next to him with no recollection of how they got there,” she said.
Swalwell stepping down amid pressure from the House
The disgraced congressman made his resignation announcement late Monday afternoon, hours after he revealed he was exiting the race for California governor amid the brewing scandal.
“I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members,” Swalwell said in a statement. “Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong. But it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress.”
On Friday, several women came out in reports from CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle, accusing the politician of sexual misconduct, including sending explicit messages and nude photos.
Tony Gonzales also resigning
Swalwell’s resignation came about an hour before fellow congressman Tony Gonzales announced he was stepping down amid his own misconduct scandal.
Gonzales had previously decided not to run for reelection over his relationship with a former staffer who died by suicide last year.
Swalwell, meanwhile, has denied the allegations, though admitted to past “mistakes in judgment.”
“I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” he said Monday on social media.
“I will fight the serious false allegation made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make.”
The House was expected to vote in the coming days on whether to expel Swalwell, though it was unclear whether it had the two-thirds majority support it needed to successfully remove him from office.
Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, who was leading the expulsion effort, said Swalwell made the right decision to resign ahead of the vote to remove him — but said it wasn’t over.
“He made the correct decision, but there still needs to be a full-fledged criminal investigation,” Luna said.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office confirmed to CBS News on Sunday that it is investigating allegations against Swalwell.
2 Swalwell accusers discuss his downfall and the fear of coming forward: "He thought he was untouchable"
Annika Albrecht, Ally Sammarco and influencer Cheyenne Hunt, who helped get their stories out, spoke with CBS News about the unraveling of the Democratic congressman's political career.
cbsnews.com
Fifth accuser speaks out after Eric Swalwell announces resignation: 'HE RAPED ME'
A new accuser has emerged amid the sexual assault and misconduct allegations against Eric Swalwell. Read on for the details.
Tony Gonzales stepping down from Congress after affair with staffer
Gonzales was also accused of sending explicit texts to another former staffer
Author of the articleenette Wilford
Published Apr 14, 2026 • Last updated 17 hours ago • 2 minute read
U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) speaks at a news conference on border security outside of the U.S. Capitol Building on November 14, 2023 in Washington, DC.
U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) speaks at a news conference on border security outside of the U.S. Capitol Building on November 14, 2023 in Washington, DC. Photo by Anna Moneymaker /Getty Images
Disgraced Rep. Tony Gonzales plans to retire from Congress, weeks after Republicans urged him to step down.
The Texas Republican previously dropped his re-election bid over his relationship with former staffer Regina Santos-Aviles, who died after setting herself on fire in 2025.
The husband and father of six allegedly asked Santos-Aviles for nude photos multiple times during a 2020 GOP primary runoff in lewd texts, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
Gonzales was also accused of sending explicit texts to another former staffer.
“There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all,” Gonzales wrote on X on Monday.
“When Congress returns tomorrow (Tuesday), I will file my retirement from office. It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas.”
It was not immediately clear when the resignation would take effect.
Sexual misconduct investigation
Gonzales is also facing a House Ethics Committee probe into his alleged sexual misconduct, which would close if and when he steps down.
Republican leaders previously called on Gonzales to end his re-election bid after he admitted to an affair with Santos-Aviles.
The 35-year-old staffer died on Sept. 13, 2025, after setting herself on fire in the backyard of her Uvalde, Tex., home.
After Gonzales, 45, dropped out of his primary race against fellow Republican Brandon Herrera, the Express-News reported that the congressman allegedly had hounded another staffer for sex.
Gonzales reportedly sent hundreds of messages to his then-political director back in 2020, in which he repeatedly asked her for nudes, questioned the “kind of panties” she wore, and begged her to “squeeze my balls,” according to the outlet.
Gonzales’ resignation comes as fellow congressman Eric Swalwell announced he was giving up his seat amid sexual misconduct accusations.
Calls for men’s expulsion
Democratic Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández of New Mexico announced plans to introduce a resolution later this week to expel Gonzales from Congress.
“As I’ve said, Gonzales and Swalwell are not fit to serve in Congress given their sexual transgressions against women who work for them,” Fernandez wrote on X. “They should resign or be expelled.”
Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida issued her own ultimatum on X.
“If Congressman Swalwell has not resigned with the Clerk of the House by 2 PM today, I will continue my resolution regarding his expulsion,” she wrote Tuesday morning. His statement about his ‘plan to resign his seat’ is not binding and is wormy. The same goes for Tony.”
Fernandez and Luna both expressed support for each other’s statements.
The House GOP’s 217-to-214 majority will not be impacted with Swalwell’s and Gonzales’s departures from Congress.
torontosun.com
Gonzales was also accused of sending explicit texts to another former staffer
Author of the article
enette WilfordPublished Apr 14, 2026 • Last updated 17 hours ago • 2 minute read
U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) speaks at a news conference on border security outside of the U.S. Capitol Building on November 14, 2023 in Washington, DC.
U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) speaks at a news conference on border security outside of the U.S. Capitol Building on November 14, 2023 in Washington, DC. Photo by Anna Moneymaker /Getty Images
Disgraced Rep. Tony Gonzales plans to retire from Congress, weeks after Republicans urged him to step down.
The Texas Republican previously dropped his re-election bid over his relationship with former staffer Regina Santos-Aviles, who died after setting herself on fire in 2025.
The husband and father of six allegedly asked Santos-Aviles for nude photos multiple times during a 2020 GOP primary runoff in lewd texts, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
Gonzales was also accused of sending explicit texts to another former staffer.
“There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all,” Gonzales wrote on X on Monday.
“When Congress returns tomorrow (Tuesday), I will file my retirement from office. It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas.”
It was not immediately clear when the resignation would take effect.
Sexual misconduct investigation
Gonzales is also facing a House Ethics Committee probe into his alleged sexual misconduct, which would close if and when he steps down.
Republican leaders previously called on Gonzales to end his re-election bid after he admitted to an affair with Santos-Aviles.
The 35-year-old staffer died on Sept. 13, 2025, after setting herself on fire in the backyard of her Uvalde, Tex., home.
After Gonzales, 45, dropped out of his primary race against fellow Republican Brandon Herrera, the Express-News reported that the congressman allegedly had hounded another staffer for sex.
Gonzales reportedly sent hundreds of messages to his then-political director back in 2020, in which he repeatedly asked her for nudes, questioned the “kind of panties” she wore, and begged her to “squeeze my balls,” according to the outlet.
Gonzales’ resignation comes as fellow congressman Eric Swalwell announced he was giving up his seat amid sexual misconduct accusations.
Calls for men’s expulsion
Democratic Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández of New Mexico announced plans to introduce a resolution later this week to expel Gonzales from Congress.
“As I’ve said, Gonzales and Swalwell are not fit to serve in Congress given their sexual transgressions against women who work for them,” Fernandez wrote on X. “They should resign or be expelled.”
Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida issued her own ultimatum on X.
“If Congressman Swalwell has not resigned with the Clerk of the House by 2 PM today, I will continue my resolution regarding his expulsion,” she wrote Tuesday morning. His statement about his ‘plan to resign his seat’ is not binding and is wormy. The same goes for Tony.”
Fernandez and Luna both expressed support for each other’s statements.
The House GOP’s 217-to-214 majority will not be impacted with Swalwell’s and Gonzales’s departures from Congress.
Tony Gonzales stepping down from Congress after affair with staffer
Disgraced Rep. Tony Gonzales has announced his plans to retire from Congress on Tuesday. Read on for the details.
Not a secure majority . Carney announced suspension of the industrial carbon levy until Labour Day . Why did he all of a suddenly become benevolent? Or is he organizing his talking points prior to dropping the writ ?
“The Radical Left Lunatics might not like this, but I think it is quite nice!!!” Trump captioned the screenshot. “President DJT.”
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Fresh Off AI Jesus Scandal, Trump Posts Another Crazy Jesus Photo — The New Republic
President Trump has no problem conflating himself with Jesus.
Pope, attacked again by Trump, tells Cameroon 'rich and powerful' threaten peace — Reuters
Pope Leo on Wednesday urged Cameroon's government to root out corruption and resist "the whims of the rich and powerful", in a forceful speech given in the presence of President Paul Biya, who has led the country since 1982.
Pope Leo issues warning on democracy after Trump criticism — Reuters
Pope Leo warned of the risk of democracies sliding into "majoritarian tyranny" on Tuesday, in a letter issued by the Vatican two days after U.S. President Donald Trump attacked the pontiff on social media.
Watch: JD Vance heckled as he rebukes Pope Leo — The Independent
JD Vance was heckled as he said that Pope Leo should be "careful" when speaking on matters of theology.
I’m not even religious, but there’s certain lines you don’t cross just out of respect for other peoples beliefs. Who had Trump picking a fight with the Pope (this one) on their bingo card?
The only other US president to pick a fight with a pope, a different pope, was Trump, in 2016.
The Vatican is a pretty small country. Good thing it’s not in the Western hemisphere. Trumps currently fighting with the Prime Minister of Italy that the Vatican is located in also because, why not?
Trump uses the AutoSuggestionPen to declare war on