Documents hint at Mayor Rob Ford’s defence in conflict of interest case

In this excerpt, Mr. Ruby argues that Mr. Ford benefits politically from his football foundation.

[Clayton] Ruby (lawyer for the prosecution): Well, you operate a Twitter account.

[Rob] Ford: Do I operate a Twitter account?

Ruby: Yes, and I suggest to you that your receptionist Tom Beyer, is in charge of it.

[Alan] Lenczner (lawyer for Rob Ford): Your who? I didn’t catch that word?

Ruby: Twitter.

Lenczner: No, no, but your …

Chaisson [another lawyer]: Receptionist.

Lenczner: Oh, receptionist.

Ruby: Tom Beyer.

Ford: I don’t personally operate the account.

Ruby: No, Tom Beyer does, I think, right? 

Ford: He could possibly, absolutely.

Ruby: Yes, and that tweet I’m showing to you is about a donation made by the football foundation to Mother Theresa High School.

Ford: Again, this is the first time I’ve seen it, but yes. If that’s what it is, that is what it is.

Ruby: Mr. Beyer is a City of Toronto employee.

Ford: Yes he is.

Ruby: And I’m going to show you a picture taken at Blessed Mother Teresa Catholic High School on April 3, 2012 that was featured in the daily newspaper, 24 Hours. Do you recognize that occasion?

Ford: Yes, I was there, yes. That’s me. That’s the kids I help out.

Ruby: And on the cheque that is in the right-hand corner of the photograph you signed you name “Mayor Rob Ford?”

Ford: Yes, that’s correct.

Ruby: That date on the cheque is April 3, 2012.

Lenczner: That isn’t actually a cheque. That’s a billboard. That’s not the cheque, if that’s what you’re trying to get at.

Ruby: I think my point is that this a publicity photo that you use in your political work, right?

Ford: It’s helping out kids.

Ruby: And it’s publicity for you politically, yes?

Ford: I don’t believe that. I think it helps out kids.

Ruby: It’s in the newspaper. You posed for it.

Ford: That’s up to the papers. If they want to come, then I tell the people that I’m coming. If the school wants to put it in the paper, that’s their problem.

Ruby: That’s their problem, and did you co-operate in producing this billboard?

Lenczner: Okay, that’s enough. I mean, really, Mr. Ruby, you’re so far away from anything that’s relevant here, I have let it go on, but that’s enough.

Ruby: I think it shows a political motivation to use the Ford Foundation, but you obviously don’t want him to answer any questions about that