Irina Goldstein says she didnt immediately recognize the man who sent her a Facebook friend request in October, after she had commented on a group photo that included him.
That man was
Valentino DiGiorgio III, the South Philadelphia-born
chairman of the Pennsylvania Republican Party.
Im running for City Council, she messaged him when she realized who he was. Next time youre in Philly, Id be honored to buy you coffee.
That began a barrage of messages over two days, Goldstein said, that swung from her seeking his advice and support to flirtation and then sexually charged exchanges that included DiGiorgios sending her a photo of an erect penis.
In her messages to him, Goldstein at times either referenced or explicitly cited sex acts. After the photo, she continued to correspond with DiGiorgio for more than four months, seeking help with her candidacy.
Still, she said, she grew embarrassed and unsettled by the exchanges, reviewed by The Inquirer, because DiGiorgio had the upper hand in their dynamic. They finally stopped communicating in February, after a written exchange in which she told him his messages amounted to his sexually harassing her.
Much more at the jump:
https://www.inquirer.com/news/pennsylvania-republican-party-valentino-val-digiorgio-president-donald-trump-irina-goldstein-online-messages-20190625.html