Pressure continues on Rob Ford

With the heat back on, Mayor Rob Ford was working hard Thursday to avoid questions. On his way to an executive committee meeting, the Mayor pushed his way through the media, refusing to address the allegations that he tried to buy the crack video from drug dealers over a month before the story broke or police wiretaps that recorded alleged gang members talking openly about the Mayor doing drugs like crack or heroin on a number of occasions. Every time the Mayor was on the move, he pushed his way through. The embattled Mayor was seen leaving the gym mid-afternoon and heading back to his office. He’s been working out since these allegations broke over a month ago, trying to improve himself. He missed a small part of the committee meeting. We did speak to Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly who says that council’s actions to limit the Mayor’s power will allow council to move forward despite the distraction. But that the Mayor needs to to take stock of what has happened.

Toronto Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly: “He really hasn’t, I don’t think, and others think this way as well, he personally hasn’t come to grips with the implications of this information on him personally. And on the implications politically down the line. I would hope that he continues to pay attention to the advice, which is to leave, personally. And with professional assistance, rehabilitate his personal life.”

Later in the afternoon, the Mayor’s brother Doug Ford made an appearance at city hall and after saying ‘no comment’ a number of times, he called the allegations all lies and said the Mayor has never felt better. When asked ‘what advice would he give to his brother’, he said ‘to keep going’. Amidst another allegation and more revelations, councillors are asking questions of the police now that they want to know why no action has been taken from the police end and why they seem to be so discrete with the Mayor.

Adam Vaughan is a Toronto City Councillor: “He is the Chief Magistrate of the city. He is automatic appointment in the Police Services Board. When someone in that position is being investigated, or is part of an investigation or snared in an investigation or surveillance tape and is caught doing very suspicious things according to the evidence that’s been taken in front of the courts. When that happens, there needs to be an explanation or how discretion is used by the police. And I think that’s a fair question to ask the Chief.”

The mayors lawyer, Dennis Morris, met with him a little while ago in his office and when we asked the lawyer why the Mayor is not talking with the media or the police about the crack issue, he said that “he has the right not to self-incriminate”