Ford camp calls on police to release video

Mayor Rob Ford’s team is responding to a bombshell released by Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair on Thursday, demanding officers release a possibly incriminating video.

The mayor has repeatedly said the video in question does not exist. On Friday, his brother Coun. Doug Ford said on AM640 that if the video exists, it should be made public.

“Let’s see the video, the chief said there’s a video and I believe the chief,” he told John Oakley.

Doug Ford also said that his brother has not even been charged with a crime, let alone convicted.

As a result of police discovering the video, Rob Ford’s friend Alexander Lisi was charged with extortion. He was freed on $5,000 bail on Friday. The video will be presented in that case in court and will likely be kept under wraps until then.

Rob Ford’s lawyer Dennis Morris also called for the video to be made public, telling CityNews he wants “to clear the air.”

“There’s been all these negative insinuations,” he said in a phone interview on Friday. Morris said that once the video is released, people won’t be calling for the resignation of the mayor.

All four major newspapers called for Rob Ford to step down on Friday.

“[The video] won’t show him smoking crack cocaine. He advised that he does not smoke crack cocaine and I’m taking his word for it,” Morris said.

Court documents released Thursday show police opened an investigation – dubbed Project Brazen 2 – into the allegations surrounding the video.

Det-Sgt. Gary Giroux, the lead investigator, says he has asked to interview Rob Ford but he has not responded.

“Everybody in our society has the right to remain silent. It’s not a sign of guilt if you choose not to speak to a police officer, it’s usually on the advice of a lawyer,” Morris responded.

Both Ford brothers were reportedly at their mother’s Etobicoke home on Friday morning, the Toronto Sun reported.