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| Toronto mayor Rob Ford faces crack cocaine video allegations | Toronto mayor Rob Ford faces crack cocaine video allegations |
| (4 months later) | |
| The mayor of Toronto Rob Ford awoke on Friday morning to the most serious allegations against him yet, with reports of a crude video in circulation which purportedly show him smoking crack cocaine. | The mayor of Toronto Rob Ford awoke on Friday morning to the most serious allegations against him yet, with reports of a crude video in circulation which purportedly show him smoking crack cocaine. |
| Throughout the video, Ford's eyes are half-closed. He lolls back in his chair, sometimes waving his arms around erratically. He raises a lighter in his hand at several points and moves it in a circle motion beneath the glass bowl of the pipe, then inhales deeply, the Toronto Star newspaper reported, saying that two of its reporters had viewed the video three times. | Throughout the video, Ford's eyes are half-closed. He lolls back in his chair, sometimes waving his arms around erratically. He raises a lighter in his hand at several points and moves it in a circle motion beneath the glass bowl of the pipe, then inhales deeply, the Toronto Star newspaper reported, saying that two of its reporters had viewed the video three times. |
| At the end of the clip, the mobile telephone used to make the video rings. Ford appears startled, according to one of the reporters. He looks directly into the camera and says: "That thing better not be recording." The video has apparently been shopped around to several media outlets by a group of men in the city, one of whom claims to have supplied Ford with the drug. | At the end of the clip, the mobile telephone used to make the video rings. Ford appears startled, according to one of the reporters. He looks directly into the camera and says: "That thing better not be recording." The video has apparently been shopped around to several media outlets by a group of men in the city, one of whom claims to have supplied Ford with the drug. |
| Emerging from his house on Friday morning, the mayor called the allegations ridiculous but refused to elaborate. | Emerging from his house on Friday morning, the mayor called the allegations ridiculous but refused to elaborate. |
| A lawyer for Ford said the reports about the mayor smoking crack were false and defamatory. | A lawyer for Ford said the reports about the mayor smoking crack were false and defamatory. |
| "We're just trying to see whether or not such a video exists and whether or not any video has been doctored or altered," Dennis Morris told the Toronto Sun. I think unless one has expertise in crack cocaine smoking it is very difficult to gauge what a person is actually doing in an alleged video." | "We're just trying to see whether or not such a video exists and whether or not any video has been doctored or altered," Dennis Morris told the Toronto Sun. I think unless one has expertise in crack cocaine smoking it is very difficult to gauge what a person is actually doing in an alleged video." |
| The individual identified as the mayor can be heard referring to Justin Trudeau, the newly elected leader of Canada's Liberal party, as a "fag" and refers to a young members of high school football team that he coaches as "just fucking minorities". | The individual identified as the mayor can be heard referring to Justin Trudeau, the newly elected leader of Canada's Liberal party, as a "fag" and refers to a young members of high school football team that he coaches as "just fucking minorities". |
| The incident harks back to the arrest in 1990 of Washington mayor Marion Barry, who was caught in a sting operation smoking crack cocaine at a city hotel. Barry spent six months in jail but was re-elected two years later and went on to serve as mayor from 1995 to 1999. | The incident harks back to the arrest in 1990 of Washington mayor Marion Barry, who was caught in a sting operation smoking crack cocaine at a city hotel. Barry spent six months in jail but was re-elected two years later and went on to serve as mayor from 1995 to 1999. |
| Ford was a city councillor for a decade before being elected mayor in 2010 on a no-nonsense platform to cut wasteful spending. But his agenda has been distracted by numerous controversies. While campaigning for the city's top job, reports emerged of an arrest in 1999 for drunk driving and marijuana possession in Miami. Ford admitted wrongdoing but told reporters: "I don't use drugs. I'm not into that scene." | Ford was a city councillor for a decade before being elected mayor in 2010 on a no-nonsense platform to cut wasteful spending. But his agenda has been distracted by numerous controversies. While campaigning for the city's top job, reports emerged of an arrest in 1999 for drunk driving and marijuana possession in Miami. Ford admitted wrongdoing but told reporters: "I don't use drugs. I'm not into that scene." |
| This year, Ford was reportedly asked to leave a gala fundraiser for wounded Canadian soldiers because he was speaking in a rambling, incoherent manner that caused organisers to conclude that he may have been intoxicated. | This year, Ford was reportedly asked to leave a gala fundraiser for wounded Canadian soldiers because he was speaking in a rambling, incoherent manner that caused organisers to conclude that he may have been intoxicated. |
| "There's just been so many distractions and they seem to be ongoing and you're almost nervous to turn on your phone, or TV or radio to see what the next news story's going to be," Toronto city councillor Josh Colle told CBC Radio on Friday. "We almost all hope that it's just kind of wild, made-up stuff, but it needs to be addressed immediately. We can't have this hanging over us." | "There's just been so many distractions and they seem to be ongoing and you're almost nervous to turn on your phone, or TV or radio to see what the next news story's going to be," Toronto city councillor Josh Colle told CBC Radio on Friday. "We almost all hope that it's just kind of wild, made-up stuff, but it needs to be addressed immediately. We can't have this hanging over us." |
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