Toronto mayor Rob Ford crack scandal, Somalis own the evidence

[Mooge]

lol@saalax's mom is from puntland.

[Safferz]

lol I brought that up in the other thread, Mooge

 

More news from Toronto -- his executive committee is planning to publicly urge him to address the drug allegations, and they're preparing contingency plans for his absence. The pace of events with this story is INSANE.

 

 

Mayor Rob Ford’s executive committee is preparing to take the extraordinary step of publicly urging Toronto’s troubled leader to confront allegations of drug use, and is making contingency plans to run the city in his absence.

 

Amid an escalating crisis of confidence in the city’s leadership, members of Mr. Ford’s cabinet-like executive committee are drafting a statement, expected to be released Friday, attempting to reassure residents of Canada’s largest city, say two councillors leading those discussions.

 

City Hall was the scene of frenetic activity and closed-door emergency meetings for much of Thursday after the mayor fired his chief of staff, one of his closest allies in the administration. The chief of staff, Mark Towhey, told his boss there was only one way out of a mounting scandal – seek help for your addiction, say two sources close to the administration.

 

It has not been established that Mr. Ford has an addiction.

 

Mr. Towhey made the demand as pressure mounted on Mr. Ford to respond to reports of a video showing him smoking crack cocaine, a source said. The plan was to quietly put the mayor on a plane to a rehab centre and issue a statement after he was gone.

 

Mr. Ford refused, the source said, and on Thursday Mr. Towhey was escorted by security from City Hall.

 

“He has a problem, he needs to go get help with it,” the source said.

 

Said another source close to the administration: “He has to address it, sooner rather than later,” referring to the controversy over the video.

 

The source said Mr. Ford’s agenda has been “crippled” by the current crisis.

 

The mayor’s office did not respond to requests for comment.

 

It’s been a week since news of the alleged video broke, and Mr. Ford dismissed the stories as “ridiculous.” Since then the scandal has catapulted the mayor into the international spotlight and made him the butt of jokes on late-night television.

 

With Mr. Ford ducking out a side door to avoid the cameras once again Thursday, the conviction is growing among many councillors that they need to take action, but they have few options.

 

“Right now I would say it is a train crash. That’s the only way to describe it,” said Councillor Jaye Robinson, a member of Mr. Ford’s executive committee who is drafting the statement. She met with the city clerk this week to run through possible scenarios, but the fact of the matter is only Mr. Ford has the power to decide his fate, she said.

 

No one can force him to give up his post, or even, as some are suggesting, take a leave.

 

“We were all for the mayor coming forward,” Ms. Robinson said. “Now we are trying to take it into our hands to ensure the city’s business moves forward.”

 

Councillor Peter Milczyn, another executive member involved in the discussions, said it is important to stress the city is working even if the stories about the mayor continue to be a “distraction.”

 

“It is honestly a fluid situation,” he said. “I honestly don’t know what headline I’ll wake up to tomorrow morning.”

 

Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday, who like Ms. Robinson is speaking out in the media with a “business as usual” message, accused some of his colleagues of using the crisis for their own political gain.

 

“They are just trying to get themselves into the story. It’s grandstanding,” he said.

 

Mr. Holyday expressed shock at Mr. Towhey’s departure, and said he is still hoping Mr. Ford will come forward and “clear the air.” Asked how the mayor will face the mounting crisis now that he has fired his top aide, he responded: “I hope he has another plan.”

 

A surreal atmosphere has settled over city hall as cameras and reporters stake out the hallways outside the mayor’s second-floor office from morning until supper time. Mr. Ford, well known for keeping his own counsel, has become more isolated by the day.

 

On Wednesday, the Toronto Catholic board delivered more bad news, telling Mr. Ford he could no longer coach the Don Bosco Eagles football team and banning him from the board’s schools. The move was long expected after Mr. Ford, in an interview, characterized the players as coming from gangs and broken homes. Still, it was devastating to Mr. Ford, who devoted huge amounts of time and energy to the team. “He was shattered,” said a source close to the mayor.

 

Just after the lunch hour on Thursday, the drama went up a notch as Mr. Towhey emerged from Mr. Ford’s office, his leather briefcase under his arm and the city’s head of security beside him. In city hall’s underground parking garage – where running reporters followed him – he paused to face the cameras.

 

“I am no longer the chief of staff. I did not resign,” said the former military captain and consultant, who rarely speaks for attribution.

[Aaliyyah]

http://metronews.ca/news/toronto/682781/rob-ford-crack-scandal-drug-dealers-with-alleged-video-disappear/#

 

Safferz, it seems those drug dealers went silent. I wonder if they realized that they won't go far with any amount of payment, after owning up to being drug dealers.

[Safferz]

Aaliyyah;954200 wrote:

http://metronews.ca/news/toronto/682781/rob-ford-crack-scandal-drug-dealers-with-alleged-video-disappear/#

 

Safferz, it seems those drug dealers went silent. I wonder if they realized that they won't go far with any amount of payment, after owning up to being drug dealers.

I read the original Gawker update, and I'm more inclined to believe that they're scared and in hiding while this blows over. Give it a few days, I don't believe they'll leave $200k on the table. I just hope someone else hasn't bought the video, or threatened them for it.

 

But even without the video, I think tomorrow will be an eventful day in city hall.

[Aaliyyah]

We will see how it goes.

[underdog]

Safferz;954205 wrote:

I read the original Gawker update, and I'm more inclined to believe that they're scared and in hiding while this blows over. Give it a few days, I don't believe they'll leave $200k on the table. I just hope someone else hasn't bought the video, or threatened them for it.

 

But even without the video, I think tomorrow will be an eventful day in city hall.

I'm standing by my previous statement: There is NO video. This was a smear campaign from the get go. Stay tuned for all the excuses as to how the mystery men have disappeared.

 

Safferz, what ever happened to innocent until proven guilty? Isn't the burden of proof supposed to be on the accusers (in this case Gawker and The Toronto Star)? This is Hit & Run journalism. Rob Ford doesn't have to do anything but wait for the clock to run out on this BS. With this media storm, why hasn't anyone come forward to implicate the mayor?

[Cara.]

Underdog, why doesn't he just call their bluff? His silence is pretty telling, even if there is no video, he can't deny it because there could be?

 

"Innocent until proven guilty" kulahaa, you nailed the right-wing persecution complex. It's not like Ford got arrested, where is this talk of burden of proof coming from?

 

Thank Ford it's Friday!

[underdog]

Cara.;954352 wrote:

Underdog, why doesn't he just call their bluff? His silence is pretty telling, even if there is no video, he can't deny it because there could be?

"Absolutely not true," he said outside his Etobicoke home on Friday morning. "It's ridiculous. It's another Toronto Star whatever," he said before getting into his Cadillac Escalade.

 

Later in the day, Ford emerged from his office at city hall to give a brief statement to reporters.

 

"Anyways, like I said this morning, these allegations are ridiculous, it’s another story with respect to the Toronto Star going after me," Ford said. "And that’s all I’ve got to say for now.”

 

That sounds like a Denial to me.

 

 

Cara.;954352 wrote:

"Innocent until proven guilty" kulahaa, you nailed the right-wing persecution complex. It's not like Ford got arrested, where is this talk of burden of proof coming from?

talk of burden of proof? "who needs proof?" miyaa? Everyone wants Rod Ford gone, but NO ONE has anything solid to justify him being gone. A phantom video recording by "SOMALI drug dealers" that 3 people on the planet have allegedly seen...

 

I say Let's see the video or lets let this slob get on with whatever it is he does.

[Safferz]

Cara.;954352 wrote:

Underdog, why doesn't he just call their bluff? His silence is pretty telling, even if there is no video, he can't deny it because there could be?

 

"Innocent until proven guilty" kulahaa, you nailed the right-wing persecution complex. It's not like Ford got arrested, where is this talk of burden of proof coming from?

 

Thank Ford it's Friday!

Not to mention his chief of staff was fired for telling him to go and get help.

 

And underdog, he has certainly been silent on the allegations, his own executive committee just signed a letter urging him to confront them. The press conference was a few minutes ago.

[Safferz]

Friday soundtrack:

 

 

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

I used to read and hear 'Ford Nation.' I used to imagine a fat, lonely white men who lived on the fringes of Etobicoke and Scarborough were the core of this 'nation.' Never I thought a Soomaali was one of them.

[Mooge]

lol. what if this whole setup is a game and he wants to lure media in. what if his supporters paid the drug dealers to create fake video and then later he comes out and says "see I told you so. this guy would become instant hero dadyoow.

 

this could be a setup aniga ilatahay. he is not saying anything waiting a bombshell.

[Safferz]

Who just saw that press conference? He finally spoke to the media and said he's not an addict and does not use crack cocaine, but he didn't answer the question yelled out by reporters of whether he's ever smoked crack. His brother, councillor Doug Ford, also went up and said the Toronto Star is tarnishing the Somali community lol. They're also denying the existence of the video.

[underdog]

There you have it....no video!

[Safferz]

underdog;954445 wrote:

There you have it....no video!

Did you expect them not to deny the existence of the video? This mayor no longer has the confidence of his executive committee or his fellow councillors at city hall, he will not survive this crisis.