Rob Ford, the former mayor of Toronto, had a history of controversy that predated the emergence of the video. Before the video came out, the outspoken politician was known for making controversial remarks and accusations of misconduct. Elected mayor in 2010, his term became infamous worldwide.
A new documentary, Mayor of Mayhem, examines Ford’s ascent and decline. The film explores the career and downfall of the right-wing populist mayor, featuring interviews with the investigative journalists who covered the scandal, city council members, and individuals who were part of Ford’s staff.
Ford’s rise to power
According to those closest to Ford in Mayor of Mayhem, he greatly admired his father, Doug Ford Sr., also a politician, and constantly sought his approval. Prior to his mayoral role, Ford Jr. was a popular city councilor representing a Toronto ward from 2000 to 2010.
As a politician, he was known for giving out his business card to people in his area and encouraging them to contact him if they needed anything. He also managed to find time to coach high school football.
After being elected mayor in 2010, Ford successfully implemented several changes during his first year. He persuaded the City Council to eliminate a vehicle registration tax. Additionally, local transit workers were designated as an essential service, preventing them from striking.
However, his aggressive behavior caused friction with some city council members. As city councillor John Filion says in the documentary, “He was so aggressive that a lot of people didn’t want to sit near him”. Ford would threaten his opponents, saying that he would destroy them if they didn’t cooperate.
The smoke out
In May 2013, Gawker released a video that seemed to depict Ford smoking crack. Initially, Ford denied both using crack cocaine and the existence of the video.
As the scandal gained more media coverage, Ford increasingly attempted to turn public opinion against the press. Being a staunch conservative, Ford began targeting the Toronto Star, a newspaper known for its progressive views, branding it and its reporters as “pathological liars.”
“Rob Ford demonizing the media years before Donald Trump did the same thing was extremely effective,”Star reporter David Rider says in the doc. Some journalists have reported receiving death threats as a result of their reporting on the Ford scandal.
Ford still had a strong base of support. The documentary includes footage of supporters campaigning for him.
In November 2013, during a public address outside his Toronto City Hall office, Ford admitted to smoking crack cocaine in the past but insisted that he was not an addict. Approximately five months later, Globe and Mail journalist Robyn Doolittle received a tip about a of Ford with a crack pipe in his hand. After the Globe and Mail released several still images from the video in April 2014, Ford, who was campaigning for re-election, entered rehab.
In September 2014, he withdrew from his re-election campaign after a tumor was discovered in his abdomen. Ford from in 2016 at the age of 46.
Mayor of Mayhem concludes with reflections from Ford’s remaining loyal advisors. One describes him as “selfless,” while another becomes emotional while discussing their role in helping Ford navigate the scandal. His former Chief of Staff Mark Towhey concludes the 49-minute documentary by stating, “All of us have a Rob, somewhere in our life. And I think in the long run, history will think of him as a man who had an illness, who, despite that, accomplished stuff that had never been accomplished before. And…the bad stuff, yep, it speaks for itself.”