VIDEO: Ford hires three staffers amid an ongoing controversy at city hall. Sean O’Shea reports.
TORONTO – Mayor Rob Ford hired three new staffers just as he lost another Friday, making it six employees who’ve left in the past two weeks.
Michael Prempeh left the mayor’s staff Friday afternoon, the day after a policy advisor and an executive assistant resigned and 8 days after the mayor fired former chief of staff Mark Towhey. Prempeh had worked in the mayor’s office as a special assistant since September, 2012.
The mayor said he was informed over a month ago that Prempeh was planning to leave to open his own business.
The mayor confirmed Friday that he had hired the new office staff but did not provide their names.
Since reports arose that someone matching the appearance of the mayor may have been videotaped smoking what could be crack cocaine, Ford has been embroiled in controversy but has remained adamant that “nothing is going on” in his office.
In that time, Mark Towhey, George Christopoulos, Isaac Ransom, Brian Johnston and Kia Nejatian have all left the mayor’s staff.
He’s denied the allegations, calling them “ridiculous” and his brother, Councillor Doug Ford, said the mayor described the allegations as “untrue.”
And at a press conference last week, the mayor said he does not use crack cocaine.
“I do not use crack cocaine, nor am I addicted to crack cocaine,” he said.
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Global News has not seen the video and cannot verify its authenticity.
The mayor again refused to answer questions about the controversy at a Friday afternoon press conference, instead returning to his refrain of “Anything else?”
The mayor led a tour group through his office Friday. Some members of the group told reporters afterwards that the mayor thanked them for support and “looks great.”
“He needs to keep doing the job he’s doing,” said one supporter from the group. “He’s doing an excellent job.”
Another woman, a Mississauga resident who used to live in Toronto, spoke at length about the mayor, calling him the best mayor of Toronto.
“He’s honest, hard worker,” Sophia Jakuewski said. She also took exception to a photograph of the cake that was brought to the mayor on his birthday asking him to resign.
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