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Rob Ford-related police investigation will hang over televised Toronto mayoral debate

Yet another round of documents stemming from an investigation involving Toronto Mayor Rob Ford have been released to the public, this time leaving some speculating that a conclusion is on the horizon.

But with no immediate word on what is contained in the 10 gigabytes of information obtained by police from an iPhone belonging to Ford's friend Alexander Lisi, the issue presents a more-immediate road bump in Ford’s re-election campaign.

More specifically, the latest details from the ongoing police investigation will be more fodder for the masses ahead of the first televised mayoral debate on City News on Wednesday.

The details do show that as recently as March 7, police were working to obtain licence to study the contents of Lisi’s phone. Lisi has been charged with drug trafficking and extortion, from an alleged attempt to retrieve Ford’s lost cellphone in exchange for drugs. The allegations have not been proven in court.

According to CBC News, police attempted to intercept text messages and photos from Lisi's iPhone and recently retrieved close to 10 gigabytes of data from Apple's headquarters in California. Police documents were released by the court on Monday.

[ Related: Rob Ford documents suggest widening crack video investigation ]

The details of several police documents, submitted to the court as part of applications for search warrants and wire taps, have been released to the public in recent months. But this latest revelation is seen by some as a major step in the investigation. Previous documents have indicated an increase in contact between Ford and Lisi after key moments, such as May 17, the day after Gawker and the Toronto Star reported the existence of a crack video.

The Toronto Sun’s Joe Warmington wrote on Tuesday that “several sources say a conclusion is coming.” The inference being that details about whether there are other parties involved in Lisi’s alleged crimes, should they exist, would likely be found in the information gleaned from his cellphone.

When asked about the latest police documents on Monday, Ford responded by simply promoting his campaign launch.

It is possible Ford will be asked to address the issue during a mayoral debate to air on City News, Wednesday evening. The 5 p.m. telecast will feature all five major candidates – including Ford, former MP Olivia Chow, former Ontario PC leader John Ford, Coun. Karen Stintz and former councillor David Soknacki.

The candidates will be asked to speak on the issues of transit, finance and leadership, the last of which Ford's history with drugs and his connection to an ongoing police investigation could surely fall. The topis has been previously addressed by competitors during the campaign.

[ Related: Human traffickers going unpunished in Canada, experts say ]

Olivia Chow began her mayoral campaign earlier this month by saying Ford was a bad role model for her grandchildren and saying the city needed a new mayor. Tory has called himself the natural alternative to the four previous years of "distraction and drift and disappointment" under Ford's leadership.

As a councillor, Stintz has been critical of the distraction Ford caused at city hall, while Soknacki's campaign has poked at Ford's international infamy by celebrating the fact that, unlike Ford, U.S. television star Jimmy Kimmel had never heard of the underdog candidate.

Ford's has long used the strategy of avoid questions about the criminal investigation and his personal issues, saying he would focus on his record at city hall during his re-election bid.

With a possible conclusion in the police investigation imaginable, the issue will hang heavy above Wednesday's debate. Whether it will be addressed or not, it will hang heavy.