Skip to main content

Toronto mayor denies smoking crack cocaine

Toronto Mayor Rob class="mandelbrot_refrag">Ford, a target of criticism for his often unconventional conduct, on Friday denied media allegations that he had been caught on class="mandelbrot_refrag">video smoking crack cocaine.

"Absolutely not true," class="mandelbrot_refrag">Ford told reporters gathered outside his west Toronto house, before driving off in his SUV.

 

Reporters for the Toronto Star and Gawker Media said late on Thursday they had watched a cellphone class="mandelbrot_refrag">video that appears to show Ford smoking crack, although both news outlets said they had declined to pay the $100,000 price asked by the tipsters, people that the Star said were involved in the Toronto drug trade.

Reuters could not confirm the existence of the video and it is not clear what impact the allegations will have on Ford's position as mayor of Canada's largest city.

The mayor still has an approval rating of around 50 percent despite a series of negative headlines, although that's down from 70 percent in the year after he took power, according to Forum Research.

A Toronto Police spokesman said police are "closely monitoring the situation."

Ford's lawyer, Dennis Morris, did not return Reuters' requests for comment.

"We're just trying to see whether or not such a video exists and whether or not any video has been doctored or altered," Morris told the Toronto Sun newspaper.

Asked if Ford planned legal action, Morris said it is at the "bottom rung of the ladder" now.

Gawker is asking for donations in what it has labeled a "Crackstarter" campaign to raise $200,000 to buy the video and post it online. It says it has already raised $28,000.

Ford, 43, was elected in 2010 on a promise to "stop the gravy train" at City Hall. But he has frequently attracted unfavorable news coverage, including for a conflict of interest case that almost cost him his job, a photograph of him reading documents while driving on the freeway, and an altercation with a reporter on a patch of land outside his house.

At City Hall on Friday, Ford initially brushed past reporters, only to return to deliver a very brief statement.

"These allegations are ridiculous, another story with respect to the Toronto Star going after me," Ford said. "And that's all I've got to say for now."

He did not reply when asked if he believed the video was faked.

STAR, GAWKER STAND BY STORIES

The Star, Canada's largest circulation newspaper, said it stands by its reporting and the story is one piece of a broader investigative report that it has been working on for months.

_0">

"This isn't a story that we're going to report lightly," said Robyn Doolittle, one of two Toronto Star reporters who said they had watched the video three times.

_1">

She added: "The Toronto Star has a high bar that we always make sure we meet before we run something, especially when it comes to this mayor."

_2">

Doolittle said the paper never intended to pay for the video but did engage in discussions about "numbers" in an attempt to see it. She said the men trying to sell the video first wanted C$1 million ($975,000) but then dropped the price to C$100,000.

_3">

Ford and his older brother Doug, a city councilor who often speaks on Ford's behalf, have a mostly hostile relationship with Toronto's news media, and a particularly rocky relationship with the Star.

_4">

Gawker, first to publish the cocaine allegations, did so after the existence of the video began to leak out, said the site's editor-in-chief, John Cook. "I am confident that I saw Rob Ford smoking crack in that video," Cook said.

_5">

Speaking early on Friday, Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday, told reporters he stands by the mayor.

_6">

"Certainly, at this point, we all know that videos can be altered and we certainly know that drug dealers can't be trusted," he said at Toronto City Hall.

_7">

CONTROVERSY

_8">

This is hardly the first controversy for Ford, who has drawn criticism for skipping city council meetings to coach high-school football and engaging in a confrontation outside his home with a reporter.

_9">

He was briefly ordered out of office in 2012 after he was found guilty of conflict of interest, but won an appeal and was allowed to finish his four-year term.

_10">

Just two months ago, the Star reported that Toronto City Councilor Paul Ainslie had asked Ford to leave a charity function after several people complained the mayor was impaired.

_11">

Ford called that story an "outright lie".

_12">

These controversies have eaten into Ford's popularity, although he still enjoys support from significant chunk of the population, mostly in Toronto's suburbs.

_13">

(Editing by Janet Guttsman, Ciro Scotti and Tim Dobbyn)

_14">

Popular posts from this blog

Study Abroad USA, College of Charleston, Popular Courses, Alumni

Thinking for Study Abroad USA. School of Charleston, the wonderful grounds is situated in the actual middle of a verifiable city - Charleston. Get snatched up by the wonderful and customary engineering, beautiful pathways, or look at the advanced steel and glass building which houses the School of Business. The grounds additionally gives students simple admittance to a few major tech organizations like Amazon's CreateSpace, Google, TwitPic, and so on. The school offers students nearby as well as off-grounds convenience going from completely outfitted home lobbies to memorable homes. It is prepared to offer different types of assistance and facilities like clubs, associations, sporting exercises, support administrations, etc. To put it plainly, the school grounds is rising with energy and there will never be a dull second for students at the College of Charleston. Concentrate on Abroad USA is improving and remunerating for your future. The energetic grounds likewise houses various

Best MBA Online Colleges in the USA

“Opportunities never open, instead we create them for us”. Beginning with this amazing saying, let’s unbox today’s knowledge. Love Business and marketing? Want to make a high-paid career in business administration? Well, if yes, then mate, we have got you something amazing to do!   We all imagine an effortless future with a cozy house and a laptop. Well, well! You can make this happen. Today, with this guide, we will be exploring some of the top-notch online MBA universities and institutes in the USA. Let’s get started! Why learn Online MBA from the USA? Access to More Options This online era has given a second chance to children who want to reflect on their careers while managing their hectic schedules. In this, the internet has played a very crucial in rejuvenating schools, institutes, and colleges to give the best education to students across the globe. Graduating with Less Debt Regular classes from high reputed institutes often charge heavy tuition fees. However onl

Sickening moment maskless 'Karen' COUGHS in the face of grocery store customer, then claims she doesn't have to wear a mask because she 'isn't sick'

A woman was captured on camera following a customer through a supermarket as she coughs on her after claiming she does not need a mask because she is not sick.  Video of the incident, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on Twitter alone, allegedly took place in a Su per Saver in Lincoln, Nebraska according to Twitter user @davenewworld_2. In it, an unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of the customer recording her. Scroll down for video An unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of a woman recording her A woman was captured on camera following a customer as she coughs on her in a supermarket without a mask on claiming she does not need one because she is not sick @chaiteabugz #karen #covid #karens #karensgonewild #karensalert #masks we were just wearing a mask at the store. ¿ o