Toronto Mayor Denies Smoking Crack, Brother Calls Gawker's Reporting 'Disgusting'
Embattled Toronto Mayor Rob Ford on Friday flatly denied allegations that he smokes crack cocaine.
"I don't use crack cocaine, nor am I an addict of crack cocaine," Ford told reporters. " I have been judged by the media without any evidence."
During an afternoon press conference, the mayor's brother (who is a city council member) called Gawker "disgusting" for reporting on a video that supposedly shows Ford smoking crack.
He also claimed the video does not exist.
"It's a v ideo that does not exist and that we haven't seen," Doug Ford said. " I think it's disgusting that an organization like Gawker made a deal with a bunch of extortionists, Somali drug dealers, as they said."
Both Gawker and the Toronto Star have reported on the video. Reporters from both publications claim to have seen it, but the people who have the video in their possession are demanding a six-figure sum of money for a copy of it.
Gawker has set up a "Rob Ford Crackstarter" campaign on Indiegogo to raise the funds to purchase the video. The site has raised more than $165,000 so far, with three days left in the campaign.
On Thursday, Ford fired his chief of staff without explanation, and Friday afternoon city council members signed a letter asking Ford to address allegations that surfaced a week ago about him smoking crack.
Mark Towhey, Ford’s chief of staff and top aide since August, hasn't said why Ford fired him or what Ford told him about the scandal.
As to why he hasn't addressed the controversy until now, Ford said at the press conference he was " advised not to say a word." He left after a brief statement without taking any questions.
The letter from the city's Executive Committee, obtained by Toronto Sun report Don Peat, is posted below:
More From Business Insider
