User:Alaney2k/Rob Ford video scandal

The Rob Ford video scandal began when Internet gossip web site Gawker posted that a video was available for purchase allegedly showing Toronto Mayor Rob Ford smoking crack cocaine. The report was followed by a report the next day by the Toronto Star newspaper, that two of its reporters had seen the same video.

Initial reports
On May 16, 2013, John Cook, editor of Internet gossip web site Gawker, posted in his online blog that a video was available for purchase allegedly showing Rob Ford smoking crack cocaine. Cook stated that he saw the video and that he sincerely believed it was Ford in the video, based on other pictures and videos he had seen of Ford. The video owner (according to Cook a member of the drug trade) was asking for a "six-figure" amount of money (more than $100,000) and had been offered $40,000 for the video by a "Canadian news organization" but had turned it down. According to Cook's account, the video was allegedly made on a smartphone, in a well-lit room showing Ford smoking a glass pipe. It allegedly ends with Ford stating that "that phone better not be on" when the phone starts to ring. Gawker was contacted by Ford's lawyer Dennis Morris stating "Mayor Ford denies such took place and, if such posting occurs, it is false and defamatory and you will be held legally accountable." The next day, Cook started a crowd funding fundraising effort to purchase the video for $200,000. According to Gawker Associate Editor Leah Beckmann, Gawker offered $15,000 for the video but was turned down and contributed the money to the fund-raising.

On May 17, 2013, the Toronto Star reported on the Gawker allegation. In a front-page story, it was reported that two of its reporters — Kevin Donovan and Robyn Doolittle — had seen the same video several times and also believed that it was Ford in the video. According to Donovan, the Star had turned down purchasing the video as the newspaper had a policy of not purchasing such items as they believe the purchase "taints" the items. Leaving his house that morning to a large media scrum, Ford denied the allegation: "Absolutely not true. It's another Toronto Star whatever". Ford later addressed the gathered media outside his City Hall office in a statement: "Anyways, like I said this morning, these allegations are ridiculous, another story with respect to the Toronto Star going after me, and that's all I have to say." Ford did attend one civic function at City Hall that day, but did not speak. Ford's lawyer Morris told the Star that it was impossible to tell what a person was smoking in a video. In an interview, Morris stated that "we'll await the revelation of a video if one exists." Until then, there would be no legal action taken by the mayor.

Rob's brother, Councillor Doug Ford cancelled a television appearance the day the story was published, and was not in contact with his office. Councillor Ford is well known for defending his brother in controversies. The brothers' regular Sunday radio show was cancelled that weekend. CFRB, the radio station that carries the Ford brothers' show, reported that it had previously been offered the video for $20,000. On May 18, Doug Ford told CFRB that "I have never seen my brother involved with anything like coke." Doug Ford told Vancouver radio station CKNW that he planned to respond to the story about his brother on Tuesday May 21.