Toronto Mayor Rob Ford broke his silence Friday to say he does not use crack cocaine, a week after published reports alleged he was seen smoking from a glass pipe in a cellphone video. “There are serious accusations from the Toronto Star that I use crack cocaine,” Ford told reporters at city hall on Friday afternoon. “I do not use crack cocaine, nor am I an addict of crack cocaine.” It’s been more than a week since reports of the alleged video first surfaced on U.S. Website Gawker, and later in the Toronto Star. Both media outlets said they had viewed a video that appears to show the mayor smoking crack cocaine. The existence and content of the video has not been verified by CTV News.

Last week, Ford called the allegations “ridiculous,” but said little else about the matter. The mayor said Friday he was advised by his lawyer to “not say a word.” “I cannot comment on a video that I have never seen or does not exist,” he said. He said it was “most unfortunate” the he has been “judged by the media without any evidence.” Ford added that the intense media scrutiny during the past week has taken a toll on him and his family, and he thanked his supporters. The mayor also briefly addressed his dismissal from his duties as a volunteer high school football coach.

The Toronto Catholic District School Board announced this week that Ford will no longer coach the Don Bosco Eagles, but stressed that the decision had nothing to do with the video allegations. The school board said Ford was let go because he made disparaging remarks about the players and the school in a March media interview. The mayor said Friday he will continue to support the team and wished the young players success in the upcoming season.

Nov 18, 2013 Quote:Toronto Mayor Rob Ford called on police to release a video that they say appears to show him using crack-cocaine. Photoshop Free Trial For Mac on this page. Toronto Mayor Rob Ford says admitting to the world that he smoked crack cocaine is “the most difficult and embarrassing thing I have ever had to do,” but he has.

“These kids are phenomenal kids who have bright futures and can do anything if they put their mind to it.” Following his statement, the mayor refused to take questions, but his brother, Coun. Doug Ford, agreed to answer a limited number of questions from the crush of reporters who gathered at city hall. “He does not have an addiction to crack cocaine and I think he was really clear on that,” Doug Ford said. “There was one news organization that accused, and has an accusation, of a video that does not exist or we haven’t seen. Very simple” he said. “So, until then, we’ll deal from there.” Councillors react to Ford’s statement Ford’s statement came shortly after members of his inner circle released a letter assuring residents that despite the controversy that’s surrounded the mayor over the last week, city business continues without interruption. The open letter, signed by six members of Ford’s executive committee, urged the mayor to speak to the allegations as the controversy around the reports continued to intensify.

“We ask the Mayor to definitely address the allegations before him,” the letter reads. “The allegations need to be addressed openly and transparently. We are encouraging the Mayor to address this matter so that we can continue to focus on serving the people of Toronto.” Following Ford’s statement, executive committee member Jaye Robinson said while she’s pleased that Ford finally addressed the allegations, she is not sure if his response was forceful enough. “I’m not sure if he went far enough” Robinson told CTV’s Power Play on Friday.

“I’m not sure if it was comprehensive as some might have liked it to be.” Robinson, who was one of the signatories on the letter, said she’s uncertain if Ford’s statement will help quell the controversy. “What we do know is we’d like the disruptions at city hall to end.' Deputy mayor Doug Holyday, who was personally thanked by Ford during his statement, said he doubts the heightened media attention directed at the mayor will subside anytime soon. “I don’t imagine the matter is going to go away,” he said shortly after Ford spoke.

Executive committee member Peter Milczyn said he’s happy Ford finally broke his silence. “I appreciate that not everyone is going to believe him, but at this point that wasn’t really the issue,” Milczyn told CP24.

“The issue was he needed to come out and address it, he couldn’t just stay silent.” Meanwhile, other councillors criticized Ford for not taking reporters’ questions and for being vague when addressing the allegations levied against him. “He is unable to govern the city anymore,” Coun.

Glen De Baeremaeker told reporters. “He has no legitimacy.” Ford's chief of staff fired Meanwhile, more details have emerged about the firing of the mayor’s chief of staff, Mark Towhey. Towhey, who was the third chief of staff to serve Mayor Ford since he took office, was fired Thursday after he reportedly urged Ford to “get help,” according a source quoted by multiple media reports.

As Towhey was escorted out of city hall Thursday afternoon, he was asked what advice he had for Ford and replied his advice was confidential. Towhey said little else, but confirmed he was no longer in the position and had not resigned. On Friday, Ford thanked Towhey “for all the work he has done.” Crowdfunding initiative hits snag In another development to the saga, a crowdfunding initiative to raise $200,000 to purchase the alleged video of Ford has hit a snag, after Gawker reported it has not been able to contact the seller since last Sunday.

Gawker’s John Cook warned contributors to the fund -- dubbed “Crackstarter”-- that his confidence in completing the deal has “diminished.” The fund had accumulated over $167,000 by Friday evening, with at least one donor pledging $10,000. Doug Ford criticized Gawker Friday, calling the website’s initiative “disgusting.”.

TORONTO — He has been thrown out of a Toronto Maple Leafs hockey game for being drunk and belligerent. He groped a female politician at a fund-raiser for a Jewish community group, and was asked to stop coaching a high school football team after having a violent confrontation with one of the players. He has admitted to drinking too much.

Toshiba Tecra M9 Drivers Windows Xp. But until Tuesday, Rob Ford, the mayor of multicultural, eco-conscious, politically correct Toronto, had vehemently denied a persistent report about a video that showed him smoking crack cocaine. “You asked me a question back in May and you can repeat that question,” Mr. Ford told a crush of journalists, photographers and camera operators. “Yes, I have smoked crack cocaine.

But no, do I, am I an addict? Have I tried it?

Probably in one of my drunken stupors, probably approximately about a year ago.” During his brief, impromptu news conference outside his City Hall office, Mr. Ford, 44, insisted that he had not been lying since May, when he first denied reports that he had used crack. At that time, the blog Gawker and The Toronto Star both said their reporters had seen a video from a man trying to sell it that apparently showed the mayor inhaling from a crack pipe and making homophobic remarks about another politician.

“I wasn’t lying; you didn’t ask the correct questions,” Mr. Ford said Tuesday. “No, I’m not an addict and no, I do not do drugs. I made mistakes in the past and all I can do is apologize, but it is what it is.” In a tumultuous four-year term that will draw to a close next year, Mr. Ford has been accused of a litany of boorish actions, profane outbursts and insensitive comments — so many, in fact, that one of his critics felt the need to to keep track of them all.

But until this one, the episodes only seemed to reinforce Mr. Ford’s standing among his core constituency, what he calls the Ford Nation, of disenchanted, right-of-center suburbanites.

Now his mayoralty is in serious doubt. Ford’s switch from outraged denial to confession was dramatic and swift. On a weekly radio talk show on Sunday, which the mayor hosts with his brother Doug, who is also a member of City Council, Mr.

Ford apologized, somewhat vaguely, for occasionally getting drunk, but avoided the cocaine issue. It was not clear why the mayor changed course on Tuesday. Ford’s confession only increased the calls from members of City Council, opponents and allies alike for him to step down, at least temporarily.

“I think he’s lost the moral authority to lead,” Denzil Minnan-Wong, a longtime supporter, told reporters outside the mayor’s office shortly after the confession. “We’re in uncharted territory.” Under Ontario municipal law, however, neither the City Council nor the province have the power to remove Mr. Ford from office unless he stops coming to work for a protracted period. About two hours before the mayor’s admission, Doug Ford extended his attack toward Chief Blair, who during said of the video, “As a citizen of the city, I am disappointed.” Doug Ford, his hands noticeably trembling, said at a news conference that the remark showed that the police chief was biased and called for him to step aside until after all investigations related to the mayor are finished. Rob Ford, who was not initially regarded as a serious mayoral candidate in 2010, focused heavily on issues that resonated with disgruntled suburban voters, many of whom had lost their jobs because of factory closings in Toronto in the past decade. Toronto had long developed policies to limit private automobile use in favor of buses, subways and streetcars. Ford vowed to end the city’s “war on cars,” the preferred mode of transport for suburbanites.

Ending a newly introduced municipal automobile registration tax was also high on his campaign agenda. But most of all, Mr. Ford declared that the city’s prosperous, growing downtown was filled with spoiled elites who were robbing suburbanites of tax dollars to their own ends.

Combined with the decision of the previous mayor, David Miller, not to seek re-election and the votes split between liberal candidates, Mr. Ford emerged as mayor. “If it was the old city of Toronto, you wouldn’t see anybody of his ilk finish second or third, let alone fourth.” said Adam Vaughan, a city councilor from downtown who to a large degree represents all that Mr.

Ford campaigned against. About four and a half hours after his admission, Mr. Ford appeared in an anteroom to his office crowded with reporters and photographers. His once-defiant tone was replaced by expressions of regret and remorse. Advertisement “To the residents of Toronto: I know I have let you down and I cannot do anything else other than apologize,” said Mr.

Ford, near tears at times. But he was equally adamant that he would not heed calls to step down, even temporarily: “I was elected to do a job, and that’s exactly what I’m going to continue doing.” Whatever Mr. Ford’s shortcomings, he has never been accused of corruption. And because Canadian mayors lack the powers of American mayors, Mr.

Ford has failed with many of his grand ambitions for the city — a casino and a giant Ferris wheel, among others — while, at the same time, spoiling plans of his left-of-center opponents on the Council. Vaughan said that the negative effects of the mayor and his brother on the city go beyond bad publicity. “Toronto used to be a city that set the pace,” said Mr. Vaughan, who many anticipate will run for mayor next year, citing the city’s history in housing, transit and policing.

“But if you are of the political persuasion that believes government is bad, having the Council constantly fail doesn’t offend you.” Like many in Toronto, Mr. Vaughan is uncertain about how Mr. Ford’s story will end. But he said that the power of the mayor’s antitax, antigovernment platform cannot be ignored.

“If he had kept his drinking under control,” Mr. Vaughan said, “if he could have kept his other habits under control, let alone out of videos, he may have been very tough to beat in the next election.”.