At the media’s request, the city has released an email from city hall security that says the mayor was “very intoxicated” at the office the night of St. Patrick’s Day 2012.
The letter, dated March 18, 2012 at 3:52 a.m., details what security saw overnight at the mayor’s office.
Neither Ford nor members of his staff have publicly commented on the email by security, which was released late Friday afternoon.
The detailed report says the mayor arrived at city hall with staffers Isaac Ransom, Brooks Barnett, Earl Provost and Olivia Gondek at around 8:30 p.m. They left together at 11:10 but Ford returned to the office at 2 a.m. with communications advisor Barnett and Provost who was deputy chief of staff at the time.
“It was quite evident that he was very intoxicated as he had problems walking, was sweating profusely and was swearing at Provost as he walked by the security desk,” the letter says.
Security said that about 20 minutes later the “gentleman who dropped off the mayor” asked for access to his vehicle. Security gave him access to the parking area and he left with two unknown women.
About 10 minutes after that, at 2:30 a.m., the mayor went to the security desk alone. Security noted he was carrying a half-empty bottle of St-Remy French brandy.
“He proceeded to make comments about how “they” stole his car and that he was going to call the police,” the email says.
“We offered to call him a cab in order to make sure he got home safely but he refused. I reminded the mayor that he did not drive to city hall and that his car was safe and sound at his place of residence. At this time, he realized that nobody had stolen his vehicle and disregarded the idea of calling the police and headed back inside.”
At that point, security took the liquor bottle away from him.
The email goes on to say how Provost, Gondek and Ransom returned shortly afterwards and that the mayor went home in a taxi at around 2:50 a.m. He was accompanied by Provost.
Security said they didn’t file a report because of the “nature of the incident involving the mayor.”
“Overall the mayor was quite pleasant towards corporate security on this night,” the email says as it details the mayor’s swearing and “alarming allegations” regarding something that was blacked out from the document.
“We did our best at keeping him away from the public eye due to his condition,” the email ends.
The email was released the day after police confirmed that Ford appears in a compromising video seized during a drug-related raid. On Thursday, unsealed court documents showed the mayor met with an alleged drug dealer several times outside of work.
That man, Alexander “Sandro” Lisi, has now been charged with extortion in relation to the Ford video.
