BUSTED

Toronto City Councillor and Mayoral candidate Rob Ford has been caught on tape entertaining the possibility of illegally purchasing Oxycontin for an HIV positive man, and the same man has also been in touch with the police regarding what he believes has been threatening behaviour from the Ford campaign team. This should come as no surprise given Ford's general ignorant, xenophobic and unstable demeanor. From the Toronto Star:

Trying to explain a taped phone conversation between himself and an HIV-positive man, Councillor Rob Ford says he feels “set up” by someone who doesn't want him to be mayor.

On the June 4 recording Dieter Doneit-Henderson, who also has the chronic pain condition fibromyalgia, asks the Etobicoke councillor to get him the powerful painkiller OxyContin on the street. Ford seems to entertain the request.

“Why don't you go on the street and score it?” Mr. Ford can be heard saying on the tape.

“Leave this with me … I have no idea. I don’t know any drug dealers at all ... I’ll bet my life I won't be able to help you out.”

Doneit-Henderson gave the Star access to the recording June 5.

Ford told the Star on June 8 he never had any intention of illegally buying drugs.

“He threw me for a real loop. I felt bad for the guy,” Ford said then, adding: “Of course I’m not going to go out and buy drugs for the guy . . . I think I was panicking . . . I didn’t know what to do.”

The Star decided not to publish the conversation.

Ford’s brother Doug, who manages his campaign, forcefully complained to Doneit-Henderson about recording and sharing the call. Doneit-Henderson made it available to X-tra and Fab magazines.

On Thursday, the Toronto Sun published excerpts of the call.

At a press conference Thursday, Ford said the interactions with Doneit-Henderson made him fear for his family so he contacted police at 22 Division.

The excerpts, which are preceded by more than 38 minutes of talk in which Ford sympathizes with Doneit-Henderson’s problems finding a doctor, have “been taken out of context,” he said.

“I said what I needed to say to get this person off the phone without provoking him,” Ford told reporters. “I feared for my family.”

Ford said he was in touch with officers Monday and registered an official complaint Tuesday.

In an interview Wednesday night, Doneit-Henderson called the allegations against him absurd, insisting he was not trying to set up Ford and never threatened him.

“I have a shattered rib and fibromyalgia,” he said. “What am I going to do — throw myself at him?”

Doneit-Henderson added he has also contacted police to discuss what he feels is threatening behaviour from the Ford team.

The saga started in early May when Doneit-Henderson called the Star about disparaging comments Ford had made in 2006 about people who get AIDS.

During an interview about his past comments, Ford agreed to talk to Doneit-Henderson on the phone, but then insisted on driving to the man's apartment to apologize in person. He told him: “I feel hurt if I insulted you in any way.”

Doneit-Henderson was thrilled with Ford’s apology and pledged to work on the Etobicoke councillor’s campaign team.

But the relationship soured over Ford family’s efforts to help Doneit-Henderson and his husband, Colville, find a doctor. Both HIV-positive with other health conditions, they have a long list of drugs they were prescribed by a former doctor in Ottawa.