Doug Ford denies making derogatory comment directed at female reporter

By David Shum Global News

Posted October 23, 2014 1:04 pm

Updated October 23, 2014 2:22 pm

1 min read

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TORONTO – Toronto mayoral candidate Doug Ford is denying he ever called a female reporter a “little b**ch” after leaving a televised debate Wednesday evening.

“The fact is, I had a private conversation with two of my staff members as I was walking out of the debate, and that private conversation was completely unrelated to anyone in the room,” Ford said in a statement released late Thursday.

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It is alleged Ford directed the comment at Toronto Star reporter Jennifer Pagliaro as he was leaving a scrum after the debate was over.

“I respect that reporters have a job to do but I am being accused of something that is not accurate,” said Ford.

“I never said anything about the Toronto Star reporter. This reporter heard something second-hand and based on this inferred I was talking about her, when the Toronto Star reporter’s name didn’t even come up once.”