Toni González, the mayor of Almus safesin Valencia, said this Friday in a statement circulated on social networks that he would present witness statements and notarial records to prove, in his opinion, that the allegations of sexual and workplace harassment that led to his expulsion from the PSPV-PSOE were “false”.
The Almussafes mayor’s situation has been tense in recent weeks after allegations of sexual harassment and workplace harassment by an employee of the public service company Emsa emerged. Toni González, who has led the Valencian municipality since 2015 and held the position of deputy general secretary of the PSPV in the province of Valencia, has decided to maintain his position as mayor, although he has resigned from all his organic positions and temporarily suspended his membership in the PSOE. González himself has expressed his determination to continue leading the city council and “Keep working with more dedication than ever before.”
Since the allegations emerged, González has repeatedly defended their untruth. He has assured that the presentations before the PSOE’s internal bodies, in particular the CADE – a mechanism set up by the party to deal with violations and complaints – have not produced any significant evidence against him and that only the complainant’s statement is available. “I will present Witness statements and records Notaries who prove that the allegations are false,” he wrote on social networks.
As part of his defense, González traced the origin of the complaint to a professional disagreement related to the company Emsa, where the employee had requested a salary increase and a change in the employment contract. González himself believes that this situation has led to one “personal revenge” and has alleged that the complainant had previously threatened to fire him and other colleagues in order to receive unemployment benefits. “He has to prove that it was non-consensual and why he had been threatening for a year,” González said in statements to elDiario.es. Likewise, the City Council has insisted that it does not act as a boss or manager vis-à-vis the complainant and has focused its public defense on the lack of documentary evidence.
In a letter to residents, González assured that he would continue “to lead the local government and make the Almussafes residents’ project a reality.” They supported the elections“Furthermore, he stressed that his departure from the Socialist Group was of a temporary nature and that his only purpose was to “clarify the situation.”
The PSOE’s national and regional leadership called for González’s resignation as mayor. It highlighted the seriousness of the reported incidents and, in the words of Pilar Bernabé – the party’s equal opportunities secretary – pointed out that the PSOE “will not agree to any behavior that endangers the safety of women”. At the same time, the PSPV demanded that González hand over the municipal council charter. These measures come in the broader context of the internal crisis within the PSOE, which in recent months has faced several similar complaints against leaders in various autonomous communities, leading to resignations, disciplinary proceedings and calls for transparency and zero tolerance for harassment within the party.
*With information from EFE and Europa Press
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