‘Rob Ford’s comments are gross’: Stintz responds to new audio recording

TORONTO –Mayor Rob Ford’s comment that he’d like to “jam” her is “gross,” mayoral candidate Karen Stintz, said Thursday.

“Rob Ford’s comments are gross. Rob Ford is not Toronto,” she said at a morning press conference. “If Rob Ford was truly sorry, he would have apologized to me last night and I’m not interested in an empty apology. We’ve seen too many of those.”

Her comments come in response to an audio recording released by the Toronto Sun Wednesday night, allegedly taken of the mayor surreptitiously at an Etobicoke bar.

Global News has not been able to verify the authenticity of the audio recording.

LISTEN: Audio obtained by Toronto Sun of Rob Ford’s alleged racist rant. Warning: Graphic and offensive language

READ MORE: Rob Ford allegedly caught in racist rant

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The mayor is overheard saying he would “like to f***ing jam her,” in reference to Stintz.

“I can’t talk…I’m so sorry, i forgot there was a woman in the house,” he adds.

He also made derogatory comments against gay people and expressed outrage at Queen’s Park’s flying the Pride flag.

READ MORE:  Rob Ford to step aside, seek help for substance abuse

This is the second allegation of Ford’s sexually harassing a colleague: Police documents whose content hasn’t been proven in court allege he told a then-staffer he’d perform sexual acts on her while drunk on St. Patrick’s Day, 2012.

The mayor officially filed his leave of absence Thursday morning. As a result, deputy mayor Norm Kelly assumed the statutory powers of the mayor.

Councillors denounced the mayor’s comments as misogynistic and homophobic Thursday morning at city hall.

“The homophobic, misogynist, hateful kind of comments he makes all the time when he’s in private have been revealed once again. And I think most people have finally seen, this is the real Rob Ford,” Councillor Janet Davis said. “And this character is not someone we want as our leader and mayor of the city of Toronto. It is unacceptable, if anyone expressed these kind of views in any workplace gets charged under harassment policies.”