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A Canadian judge has released police interviews in which witnesses describe how Toronto's crack-smoking mayor Rob Ford partied with a prostitute in City Hall and snorted drugs off a table.
The revelations came hours after the city council voted to ask him to stand aside. Ford refused, but admitted having bought illegal drugs while mayor.
He has previously confessed to smoking crack cocaine while drunk.
Yesterday Ford said he would sue former staffers, a bar waiter and others who made the new allegations.
"It's unfortunate I have to take legal action," Ford said, denying the allegations as "outright lies."
"I have no other choice," he said. "I'm the last one to take legal action. I can't put up with it any more."
An Ontario judge decided on Wednesday to release the additional information from the police investigation into Ford.
The 500-page document holds months' worth of allegations used to obtain a search warrant in an inquiry targeting alleged drug dealer Alessandro Lisi, an associate and driver for Ford.
In it, Earl Provost - Ford's current chief of staff - and former staffers Brooks Barnett and Isaac Ransom paint a vivid picture of one night in particular - St Patrick's Day last year.
The three were among revelers with Ford, who started the party at the mayor's City Hall office. When Ransom arrived, he saw a blonde woman named Alana, who he identified as a suspected sex worker. Ransom told police there were rumours Ford "had used escorts or prostitutes" and that Alana had hash and marijuana.
He added that Ford wanted to use the drugs with Alana, but staffers prevented him.
At the party, Ransom says, Ford finished half a bottle of vodka before taking a cab to a downtown bar, Bier Market, to drink in a private room.
A Bier Market food-runner told police he entered the private room and saw Ford and another woman "turned in towards each other with their heads down and back from the table and he heard two sniffs from both of them".
The food-runner said Barnett, who left Ford's office this week, asked for his name and told him: "Don't tell anyone about what you saw here tonight."
The party returned to City Hall, where Ford is also claimed to have lewdly propositioned a female City Hall security guard.
At Wednesday's council meeting, all but two of the 43 councillors present for the debate voted to accept an open letter asking Ford to step aside.
Most of them also stood up to urge the mayor to take a leave of absence.
But Ford, 44, insisting he was "a positive role model for kids", said: "I'm most definitely keeping this job."
Ford later tried to move a motion directing all council members to have their hair tested for drugs and alcohol by December 1, but the meeting erupted in laughter and the council chair ruled the motion out of order.
Additional reporting by Associated Press


Toronto Mayor Rob Ford faces claims he partied with vice girl in city hall

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is confronted by councillors after the meeting at City Hall. Photo: Reuters

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Former staffers among latest accusers against Rob Ford as he rejects vote to stand aside


A Canadian judge has released police interviews in which witnesses describe how Toronto's crack-smoking mayor Rob Ford partied with a prostitute in City Hall and snorted drugs off a table.


Toronto Mayor Rob Ford faces claims he partied with vice girl in city hall

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Former staffers among latest accusers against Rob Ford as he rejects vote to stand aside

Former staffers among latest accusers against Rob Ford as he rejects vote to stand aside