Mayor Rob Ford is calling a conflict-of-interest lawsuit that could see him tossed from office “all politics.”
Ford made the comment in a rare one-on-one interview with CP24 Wednesday, in which he spoke candidly about allegations that he contravened provincial law by speaking and voting on a motion pertaining to the Rob Ford Football Foundation in February.
“I can’t really get into it, but it is all politics. I truly believe that,” Ford said. “I have started off about 13 football programs in underprivileged areas where the kids need the most help and it has been very, very successful and a fantastic foundation. I can show you every school that we donate to. The money doesn’t even come to me, it goes straight to the schools and it buys football equipment.”
The lawsuit, which was brought forward by resident Paul Magder, alleges that Ford broke the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act when he spoke in favour of scrapping a penalty levied against him by the city’s integrity commissioner in 2010.
The penalty would have forced Ford to repay $3,150 in donations he improperly collected using councillor letterhead and a staff members time, but council, Ford included, voted to drop it.
“I could lose my job and they might ban me from running (for office) at any level for the next seven years,” Ford said. “I hope that doesn’t happen. I truly believe I haven’t done anything wrong.”
The automatic penalty for violating the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act is removal from office.
Ford, who is expected to testify on the matter next Wednesday, said if he was simply removed from office and not banned from running again he’d start campaigning again immediately.
“I’ll just say ‘when is the next election?’ and the next day I’ll start campaigning,” he said.
