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Daniel Dale dropping all lawsuits related to Ford, Black interview

By David Weisz Global News

Posted December 19, 2013 12:30 pm

Updated December 19, 2013 2:06 pm

3 min read

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WATCH: Toronto Star reporter Daniel Dale is no longer suing Mayor Rob Ford. Jackson Proskow reports.

TORONTO – Following apologies from all parties involved, Toronto Star reporter Daniel Dale will not be suing Mayor Rob Ford or ZoomerTV.

The mayor issued a second apology Wednesday evening, this one in an open letter, for remarks he made during an interview with Conrad Black broadcast last week.

“There was absolutely no basis for the statement I made about Mr. Dale taking pictures of children, or for any insinuation I made,” Ford’s latest apology reads. “I should not have said what I did and I wholly retract my statements and apologize to Mr. Dale without reservation for what I said.”

Dale said he accepts the mayor’s apology.

I sincerely appreciate Mayor Ford’s complete retraction and unqualified apology, and I’m very glad the truth is no longer in dispute.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) December 19, 2013

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: I sincerely appreciate Mayor Ford's complete retraction and unqualified apology, and I'm very glad the truth is no longer in dispute.</p><p>— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) <a href="https://twitter.com/ddale8/statuses/413472807520321536">December 19, 2013</a>

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I won’t be taking legal action against the mayor, and I’m looking forward to getting back to work.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) December 19, 2013

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: I won't be taking legal action against the mayor, and I'm looking forward to getting back to work.</p><p>— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) <a href="https://twitter.com/ddale8/statuses/413472922121281536">December 19, 2013</a>

The mayor’s Tuesday apology – that he’s sorry “ if my actual words have caused him any harm or personal offence” – wasn’t received as well.

I didn’t ask for an “I apologize if.” I asked for an “I apologize because I said false, damaging, and unfounded things, and here they are.”
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) December 17, 2013

Read More: Full text: Rob Ford’s (first) apology to Daniel Dale

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After the mayor’s latest apology, ZoomerMedia’s vice president of communications, Leanne Wright, issued the following statement on behalf of the company:

“We are pleased to see that Mayor Ford has responded to the libel allegations by Mr. Dale by offering a full apology and retraction of his comments.
“We have always believed that this was primarily a matter between Mr. Dale and Mr. Ford.
“However, we sincerely regret the part ZoomerMedia played in broadcasting the offending words spoken by Mr. Ford, and apologize for that.
“We can confirm that those words will never again be broadcast on any of our television outlets or websites.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We are pleased to see that Mayor Ford has responded to the libel allegations by Mr. Dale by offering a full apology and retraction of his comments.</p><p>"We have always believed that this was primarily a matter between Mr. Dale and Mr. Ford.</p><p>"However, we sincerely regret the part ZoomerMedia played in broadcasting the offending words spoken by Mr. Ford, and apologize for that.</p><p>"We can confirm that those words will never again be broadcast on any of our television outlets or websites."

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Dale responded in kind:

I appreciate Zoomer’s statement. While it’s hard to understand how the mayor’s comments made it to air, I won’t be taking legal action.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) December 19, 2013

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: I appreciate Zoomer's statement. While it's hard to understand how the mayor's comments made it to air, I won't be taking legal action.</p><p>— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) <a href="https://twitter.com/ddale8/statuses/413511995137474560">December 19, 2013</a>

During the pre-recorded interview with Black, broadcast last week on Vision TV, Ford was asked to comment on the “most offensive events, or abrasions” he’s experienced with journalists.

Ford referenced an incident during which Dale was near Ford’s property in May, 2012 for a story about a piece of park the mayor wanted to buy. The mayor has referenced Dale being “in his backyard;” Dale has said repeatedly he was in fact in a public park.

Dale was “taking photos of little kids,” Ford said during the interview with Black. “I don’t want to say that word, but you start thinking ‘What’s this guy all about?’”

“This recollection of the incident is inaccurate,” Ford’s latest letter reads. “I never saw Mr. Dale standing on bricks or cinderblocks, never saw

Mr. Dale looking over my fence and never saw Mr. Dale taking any pictures. There is no basis for saying as I did on December 17 and in the past that Mr. Dale was ‘lurking’ or ‘leering’ near or over my fence. … There was no basis for me to say that Mr. Dale was ever in my backyard or on my property.”

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Dale had said as much multiple times since the incident May 12, and said police investigations backed him up.

But days after his interview with Black, Ford had said he stands by “every word.”

READ: Rob Ford’s letter to Daniel Dale

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