EXCLUSIVE: CASA Files State Bar Complaint Against Swalwell for Moral Turpitude

 The Center to Advance Security in America (CASA) has filed a formal attorney misconduct complaint (see below) with the State Bar of California against Rep. Eric Swalwell, urging an immediate investigation into whether the embattled Democrat committed acts of moral turpitude through a series of alleged sexual assaults and rapes involving multiple women.

The complaint, submitted this week, cites “multiple accusations from several women including rape, sexual assault, and others” that prompted Swalwell’s abrupt resignation from Congress on April 14 and the suspension of his campaign for California governor. CASA argues that the allegations — if substantiated — provide clear grounds for disciplinary action, including disbarment or suspension, regardless of any criminal conviction.

From the complaint: 

“The Commission of any act involving moral turpitude, dishonesty or corruption, whether the act is committed in the course of his relations as an attorney or otherwise, and whether the act is a felony or misdemeanor or not, constitutes a cause for disbarment or suspension.” Importantly, “If the act constitutes a felony or misdemeanor, conviction thereof in a criminal proceeding is not a condition precedent to disbarment or suspension from practice therefor.”

“There are several crimes that Swalwell would have committed, if the allegations are true, including rape, sexual battery, assault with the intent to commit rape or sexual offenses, Forcible Sexual Penetration, Oral Copulation By Force, or potentially other crimes. Additionally, in California, sending nude photos unsolicited is illegal and can lead to civil causes of action and could potentially be an act of moral turpitude.”

“Swift action is warranted in a matter such as this, where the allegations are significant and egregious,” the complaint states. “Swalwell should never be enabled to be in a position of any authority whatsoever.”

Swalwell, who remains a licensed California attorney in good standing, resigned his seat representing California’s 14th Congressional District but will continue in the role under the supervision of the Clerk of the House until a successor is named. 

As California Globe previously reported, the resignation came amid a rapidly unfolding scandal that has left Democrats scrambling to distance themselves from one of their longtime stars.

The CASA complaint meticulously details the accusations: 

• An anonymous former staffer claims Swalwell sexually assaulted her in a hotel room after pursuing her while she worked in his Castro Valley office at age 21. She alleges he sent unsolicited nude photos via Snapchat, exposed himself, and pressured her for oral sex. She further claims that after a night of drinking in September 2019, she woke up naked with evidence of intercourse. Swalwell was married and 45 years old at the time.
• Three additional women described similar misconduct to CNN, including unsolicited nude messages, non-consensual touching, and incidents where they woke up in hotel rooms with little or no memory after drinking with Swalwell.
• Beverly Hills model Lonna Drews (also referred to as Lana Dres in some reports) alleges that in 2018 Swalwell drugged her drink, lured her to a hotel room, raped her, and choked her to unconsciousness. “I thought I died,” she stated. “I did not consent to any sexual activity… I would never have engaged in a consensual sexual encounter with Eric Swalwell.”

CASA emphasizes that under California Business and Professions Code §6106, any act involving moral turpitude — whether a felony or not — is grounds for discipline, and a criminal conviction is not required.

The filing comes as Swalwell’s political career lies in ruins. California Globe has long documented Swalwell’s pattern of ethical lapses and questionable associations, from his infamous ties to a suspected Chinese spy to his repeated attempts to weaponize his office while shielding himself from accountability.

CASA, a nonpartisan organization focused on government transparency and national security, warned that allowing Swalwell to retain his law license poses a direct threat to female clients who could find themselves in the same vulnerable position as his alleged victims.

“If Swalwell remains a licensed attorney, the potential exists for him to have female clients, where he could abuse that position just as he did in his role as a congressman,” the complaint states.

Speaking exclusively to the California Globe, CASA Director James Fitzpatrick stated, “CASA has filed a bar complaint in California against disgraced Congressman Eric Swalwell due to potential acts of moral turpitude with multiple accusations from several women including rape and sexual assault. This type of reprehensible conduct is wholly inappropriate for a licensed attorney and needs to be investigated. The rules are clear that these types of alleged sexual crimes are violations, even if committed outside the scope of being an attorney and even without a criminal conviction. If true, no one in California, or elsewhere for that matter, should be subjected to the possibility of a Swalwell legal representation. A full and immediate investigation is required.”