TORONTO – Toronto Mayor Rob Ford admitted Tuesday he has used crack cocaine in the past, but promises his mistakes will “never, ever, ever happen again.”
“Yes, I have smoked crack cocaine,” he told reporters outside of his office at city hall Tuesday morning.
But he still plans to stay mayor.
“I have nothing left to hide,” he said during an apology Tuesday afternoon. “I would do anything, absolutely anything to change the past, but the past is the past and we must move forward.
Last Thursday, Ford said he had “no reason to resign” after Police Chief Bill Blair acknowledged investigators have a video of the mayor purportedly smoking what looked like crack cocaine.
Ford has since called on Blair to release the video “for every single person in the city to see.” Spoiler: Police say only the courts can do that since it’s been submitted as evidence in the case involving Ford’s friend Alexander “Sandro” Lisi.
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Here’s a look at what exactly Ford, his brother and city councillors have said about the alleged crack video since allegations were first cast.
May 16: Gawker publishes “For Sale: A Video of Toronto Mayor Rob FORD Smoking Crack Cocaine.”
May 16: The Toronto Star publishes its report on the video, and quotes Rob Ford’s lawyer, Dennis Morris, as calling the reports “false and defamatory.” Morris also questioned how “can you indicate what the person is actually doing or smoking?” by watching a video.
“It’s ridiculous.”
May 17: Mayor Ford mutters “it’s ridiculous” when asked by reporters if the allegations are true as he emerges from an elevator en route to his office.
May 18: Ford and his brother cancel their weekly radio show.
May 22: Doug speaks up for his brother, saying:
“Rob has told me that these stories are untrue, that these allegations are ridiculous, and I believe him. I will always support my brother as the mayor of this city.”
The mayor’s brother slams the Toronto Star for what he calls “questionable reporting.”
May 24 morning: Toronto’s executive committee writes a letter, urging the mayor to address the allegations himself.
“I would like him to come forward and speak and that’s what the executive members are trying to say in this letter,” Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday says.
May 24 afternoon: Rob Ford makes a statement eight days after the original articles are published.
“I do not use crack cocaine, nor am I an addict of crack cocaine.”
“As for a video, I cannot comment on a video that I have never seen or does not exist,” he says at a press conference.
Watch the video from May 24 below:
May 26: The Ford brothers lash out at media during their radio show over the “false accusations.” When a caller asks if it’s Mayor Ford in the “Gawker video” and the photograph with his arm around Anthony Smith, Ford responds:
“Number one, there’s no video, so that’s all I can say. I can’t comment on something that doesn’t exist.”
Ford adds that he takes pictures “with everybody.”
May 28: Holyday says he believes in the existence of the alleged video of Ford smoking what could be crack cocaine, but says he’s unsure about the video’s authenticity.
“Whether it’s been one that’s doctored or whether it’s been tinkered with or not, we won’t know until we get the video,” Holyday says.
“I just want to see the video. Then that will answer a lot of questions.”
Oct. 31 morning: Toronto police Chief William Blair announces police have recovered a video with “images consistent with those that had been previously reported in the press.” Blair says it’s “safe to say the mayor does appear in the video.”
“As a citizen of Toronto I’m disappointed,” Blair says. “It’s an issue of significant public concern.”
Oct. 31 afternoon: “I have no reason to resign,” Ford tells reporters outside his City Hall office.
“I think everyone has seen the allegations against me today,” says the mayor.
“I wish I could come out and defend myself. Unfortunately, I can’t, because it’s before the courts. And that’s all I can say right now.”
Nov. 1: Ford’s brother and lawyer take Blair to task for commenting on the video. Doug Ford accuses the police chief of “politicking.” Lawyer Dennis Morris calls on the police to make the video public.
Nov. 3: Ford apologizes for “mistakes” on his weekly radio show, and urges Blair to release the video.
“Whatever this video shows, folks, Toronto residents deserve to see it and people need to judge for themselves what they see on this video.”
When asked specifically about it by a caller, Ford says, “I can’t comment on a video I have not seen.”
Hours later in an interview on AM640, lawyer Lorne Honickman asks Ford which mistakes he was apologizing for specifically.
“There’s a number of self-inflicted mistakes,” Ford says, citing his “wild” party on St. Patrick’s Day 2012 and his public drunkenness at an August Taste of the Danforth festival.
When Honickman asks Ford why he specified alcohol and not drug use in his apology, Ford acknowledges his past drinking, and adds:
“If you call that a drug, which I guess alcohol is, I have to curb my drinking.”
Honickman asks specifically about crack. Ford repeats he is not a crack addict and adds he’s “not an addict of any type of drug, even alcohol.”
Nov. 4: In an interview on AM640, host John Oakley points out Blair can’t release the alleged crack video as Ford has asked, noting it’s now before the courts.
“But he’s going up to tell everybody that there’s a video, that he’s disappointed, and I’m in it. Is it only fair that he comes out and backs up what he says, and says ‘Okay, there’s a video.’ Show the people, show everyone the video,” Ford responds.
When Oakley suggests the mayor’s response is a “temporary legal dodge,” Ford replies: “I’m not a lawyer.”
When Oakley asks if he’s ever used crack, Ford says:
“I’m not a drug addict. I’m not an alcoholic.”
Nov. 5 at 12:30 p.m.: Ford tells reporters at city hall that he has smoked crack close to a year ago.
“Yes, I have smoked crack cocaine.”
Nov. 5 at 4:30 p.m.: Ford says he has “embarrassed everyone in the city” and says he will be forever sorry. His crack admission lifts “a 1,000-pound weight” off his shoulders, he says.
“Folks, I have nothing left to hide. I would do anything, absolutely anything to change the past, but the past is the past and we must move forward.”
Ford says he kept his “mistakes” from his family including brother Doug, staff, and council colleagues. He apologizes to Toronto residents, and vows to regain their trust.
“These mistakes will never, ever, ever happen again… Again I sincerely, sincerely apologize. God bless Toronto.”
With files from John R. Kennedy and James Armstrong
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