More controversy greets Toronto Mayor Rob Ford on 44th birthday

What do you get a guy who has everything, but is currently watching it all collapse around him? Today is Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's birthday, and we wish him a healthy, happy year ahead.

Now, as for a birthday present... the cynics among us surely have some suggestions. The rest of us just hope Ford has a quiet day, even just one quiet peaceful day, in the eye of a growing storm surrounding allegations that he was videotaped smoking from a crack pipe.

Of course, that might be too much to ask for. The Mayor's Office was rocked yesterday when his two senior communications officers resigned following a contentious radio declaration that the video doesn't exist and a public statement in which he denied doing crack cocaine.

The resignations followed the firing of chief of staff Mark Towhey, who reportedly urged the mayor to go to rehab.

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Certainly it can't get worse than that, can it? Apparently it can, at least according to this morning's headlines. The Toronto Star has fresh reports on the Rob Ford crack video controversy.

Longtime Ford associate and recent addition to the Mayor's Office, David Price, was reportedly interviewed by police after information connected the video to a recent homicide. The Star cites "people close to the mayor's circle and people in the northern Etobicoke community where the drug video was shot."

The sources told the Star that shortly after news of the video broke, Price told Towhey that he "hypothetically" knew where the video was being held and that he may have reason to believe the video was connected to the shooting death of 21-year-old Anthony Smith, one of three young men in a photo provided with reports of the video's existence.

Towhey contacted police with the information and Price was later asked to provide them with a statement.

When Ford was asked whether his staff had been questioned about the video, he told reporters, "ask my staff."

A separate report from the Star identifies a second person it the photo as Muhammad Khattak, a 19-year-old friend of Smith's who was shot on the same night he was killed. There is no indication Khattak is involved with the video or the drug trade, the Star notes.

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A third report digs into one of Ford's replacement communications officials. On Monday, after press secretary George Christopoulos and his deputy Isaac Ransom resigned, Ford announced that Amin Massoudi would move from the office of his brother, Coun. Doug Ford, and join his communications department.

The newspaper reports that Massoudi was fired from Rob Ford's 2010 mayoral campaign after it was heard that police found marijuana in his car. No charges were laid and Ford later hired Massoudi as an assistant in his council office.

All this news comes as it is "business as usual" inside City Hall. An executive committee meeting was being held on schedule Tuesday morning.

Meantime, a Gawker campaign to collect $200,000 to buy the alleged video reached its target, although the latest details suggest Gawker has lost contact with those who claim to have the video.

But all those problems can wait for another day. Rob Ford is turning 44 today. Last year, his brothers bought him a Cadillac Escalade and had a birthday party at his mother's house.

This year, a bunch of people chipped in and and bought him a video. The question is if it will be delivered.