Spain's Socialist PM loses ally over sex harassment allegations
Francisco Salazar, a close ally of Mr Sánchez, stepped back as a deputy in the organisation's secretariat and asked for the allegations to be investigated, the Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) said in a statement.
The PSOE said it would begin an inquiry immediately, adding that no allegations had been made through its usual channels.
The move came in response to a media report that Mr Salazar had made inappropriate sexual advances to a younger female member of staff for the PSOE.
The woman, who has not been named, told the El Diario news outlet that Mr Salazar had made sexual comments and invited her to sleep at his house.
News of the resignation came moments before Mr Sanchez was due to speak at his party HQ as he sought to assuage fears over sleaze.
Speaking an hour later than scheduled, Mr Sanchez called for any woman suffering sexual abuse to use the channels provided by the party to report it.
'If we believe that a woman's body is not for sale, then there can be no room for behaviour that contradicts this belief,' he said, without mentioning Mr Salazar.
The PSOE on Saturday named Rebeca Torro as Cerdan's replacement as secretary of organisation and two deputies. Salazar would have been the third deputy secretary.
Mr Sanchez is coming under increased pressure after several senior figures in his party have been linked to a police corruption investigation.
Santos Cerdán, the party secretary, resigned last month when the Spanish press reported that the police had evidence linking him to a scheme in which companies were charged in return for government contracts.
The prime minister, who came to power in 2018, apologised to the public in the wake of the allegations, claiming he had been 'mistaken' to put his trust in Mr Cerdán.
On Monday, a Supreme Court judge ordered that Mr Cerdán be held in pre-trial detention. He denies the allegations.
José Luis Ábalos, a member of Mr Sanchez's cabinet up until 2021, is also at the centre of a graft investigation allegedly linking him to hundreds of thousands of euros in illicit payments. He has denied any wrongdoing
Since 2023, Mr Sanchez has led a fragile minority government in which he relies on the support of the hard-Left and regionalist parties.
In recent weeks, speculation has increased that the long-time prime minister has lost the support of his coalition and will have to call a snap election.
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