Rob Ford’s policy advisor quits day after mayor’s crack admission

TORONTO – A senior policy advisor for Mayor Rob Ford has resigned barely 23 hours after the mayor admitted to smoking crack cocaine.

Brooks Barnett was a policy advisor and council relations officer in Ford’s office, and was among the staffers who didn’t resign in the weeks following the original allegations of crack use levied against the mayor in May.

Barnett was named in documents released last week connected with a Toronto police investigation into Ford and Sandro Lisi: It appears police targeted his phone number, among many others, as part of the investigation.

Isaac Ransom, George Christopolous, Kia Nejatian and Brian Johnston all resigned from the mayor’s office in a flurry of resignations following the May allegations. The mayor’s former chief of staff, Mark Towhey, left around the same time – but he was fired.

The mayor was forced to hire a bevy of new staffers including current spokesperson Amin Massoudi, who moved over from Councillor Doug Ford’s office. Victoria Colussi, Jonathan Kent, Rob Krauss and Katrina Ponnniah were new hires added to the mayor’s “customer service team,” according to the National Post.

In May, the mayor said he “does not use crack cocaine” nor is he “addicted to crack cocaine.” On Tuesday, he admitted to smoking crack but was adamant he was not addicted, and said he hadn’t lied in previous statements.

“Yes, I have smoked crack cocaine,” he told reporters outside his office. “Probably in one of my drunken stupors, probably approximately about a year ago.”

The mayor later said he has no intention of leaving office.

He also repeated demands for the alleged video be released for the public – and himself – to see. Police have said they can’t release it because it’s evidence in the case against Lisi, who faces a charge of extortion.