Rob Ford staffer 'Dave' suspended after phone call
David Price, a senior staff member in Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's office, has been suspended after a phone call to a local newspaper.
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Rob Ford's friend 'Dave' made calls to mayor's radio show
The controversy comes in response to an exclusive CBC News story reporting that Price made repeated calls to Ford's weekly radio show identifying himself only as "Dave" from various parts of the city.
The calls (there were at least six) would often praise Ford and his brother, Coun. Doug Ford, for their work at city hall. Price, a longtime friend of the Ford brothers, wasn't on the mayor’s staff at the time the calls were made. His current title is director of operations and logistics.
Many news outlets, including the Toronto Sun, followed the CBC story about calls Price made to the mayor’s show.
In a story published today, the Sun reports that Price called the newspaper’s city hall bureau on Tuesday afternoon to complain about the headline in the newspaper’s version of the story.
The caller is asked if he is the same Dave who had called the mayor’s radio show. The caller doesn't give a direct answer, then hangs up.
You can listen to the audio by clicking here.
On Tuesday, the Sun asked the mayor’s office about the incident. Ford apologized and later told the newspaper Price had been suspended for a week without pay.
The mayor’s office also told the Sun that Price “admitted he made a mistake.”
This isn’t the first time Price, who also worked on Coun. Doug Ford’s campaign in 2010, has made news.
In May, Price asked his colleagues in the mayor’s office if they should try to obtain a video that is alleged to show Rob Ford smoking crack cocaine.
A senior source in the mayor's office told CBC News that Price contacted the mayor's then chief of staff Mark Towhey, asking him “hypothetically” what they would do if someone told him where the video was.
Towhey, who was fired days later, responded that police should be contacted.
The mayor has said the video doesn’t exist and the video has yet to surface.
