After a new allegation of “unacceptable intimidation” against Peter Poulos emerged this week, the Liberal Party announced on Saturday afternoon its decision to suspend the MP for six months over the explicit photo scandal.

The decision, with five weeks to go until polling day in the NSW election, equates to his disendorsement from his winnable Upper House seat.

“The effect of the suspension is that Mr Poulos is disendorsed as a Liberal candidate for the Legislative Council at the coming election,” said a party spokesman, citing campaign powers exercised by the NSW Liberal Party state director Chris Stone, in consultation with state president Maria Kovacic.

“While Mr Poulos has apologised for his actions to the person concerned and to the community, his conduct fell short of the standard of behaviour expected of members of our Party.”

As revealed by the Sunday Telegraph, back in 2018 Mr Poulos had shared explicit images of fellow Liberal MP Robyn Preston with a party member ahead of her preselection.

Ms Preston’s photos were taken from a 1980s Penthouse shoot.

The photos were subsequently shared with media during her preselection run for the northwest Sydney seat of Hawkesbury.

Ms Preston, who went on to win the seat, was then a councillor at the Hills Shire Council, while Mr Poulos was working as a political staffer.

Following the revelations this week, Mr Poulos apologised to Ms Preston for his “regrettable mistake” and resigned from his parliamentary secretary role.

But backlash against the embattled MP intensified following a separate allegation emerging of “unacceptable intimidation”.

As reported by the Sunday Telegraph a letter that had been sent from a senior female party figure to NSW Liberal officials, alleged intimidation by Mr Poulos ahead a local government preselection in 2016.

In the letter, the woman had reportedly described feeling “extremely anxious” and “shaken” after an alleged aggressive attempt by Mr Poulos to convince her to support a particular candidate.

The Liberal Party is yet to announce who will be filling Mr Poulos’ vacancy in the Upper House candidacy.