TORONTO, (Reuters) – Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, under pressure to respond to allegations he was filmed using drugs, said yesterday that he does not smoke crack cocaine and could not comment on a video he had not seen or does not exist.
“There has been a serious accusation from the Toronto Star that I use crack cocaine. I do not use crack cocaine, nor am I an addict of crack cocaine,” he told a news conference.
The Toronto Star and Internet gossip blog Gawker reported last week they had separately seen a cellphone video that allegedly shows Ford smoking a substance from a crack pipe while in the company of people involved in the drug trade.
“As for a video, I cannot comment on a video that I have never seen or does not exist,” said Ford, who did not take questions from reporters.
His comments mark his first direct response to the allegations since the Star and Gawker stories were published last Thursday. Shortly afterward, he called the reports “ridiculous,” but did not give a full statement or denial.
Since the allegations surfaced, he has been hounded by news media at every turn, while several city councillors and allies have encouraged him to confront the issue directly.
The Toronto Sun, a right-leaning newspaper generally considered to be Ford-friendly, published an editorial on Thursday demanding the mayor either strongly deny the allegations or step down from office to seek medical help.
