Will the release of latest police documents sway Ford Nation?

TORONTO – Support for Toronto Mayor Rob Ford continues unabated, at least from “Ford Nation”, following new allegations released from police documents Wednesday, says former Ontario Progressive Conservative leader and radio host John Tory.

The former politician fielded calls on his daily radio show Wednesday evening from people who remain split on whether Ford has done anything illegal.

“There’s people who think that this is wiretap information, it’s not proven in court, a lot of it is what you call hearsay, that as a result we shouldn’t take it too seriously,” Tory said during an interview on The Morning Show.

In depth: The Rob Ford saga

Mayor Ford was thrust back into the spotlight after allegations surfaced suggesting he may have offered five-thousand dollars and a car to suspected drug dealers in exchange for a video of himself smoking what appears to be crack cocaine.

According to the documents, the mayor’s name also surfaced on wiretap information allegedly showing people in possession of photos of Ford smoking drugs.

None of the allegations have been proven in court and Ford has not been charged with any criminal offences.

But Tory suggests the latest revelations might not sit very well with the electorate and further tarnishes his public image.

“The most serious issue wasn’t so much the crack use, the alcohol problems and so on, which are personal failings that lots of people have, but rather the hanging out with these poeple,” said Tory. “And you compromised yourself in terms of your ability to deal with law and order, to deal with the police budget, to be a role model, to carry out your duties.”

Former Toronto police detective Mark Mendelson, who also appeared on The Morning Show, said the Ford allegations began with the focus being on the drugs, guns and gangs investigation and that the mayor just “fell into this thing.”

“I don’t think Ford being a part of this package had anything to do it. Their goal was to get the evidence to charge the people that they did,” said Mendelson. “The cell phone, the crack video, all of that, is secondary.”

“I think they have a lot of evidence, a lot of hearsay evidence, but have they reached that plateau, that threshold of reasonable grounds to believe that he committed the offence? Probably not. Lisi, absolutely, and he’s before the courts.”