By Alex Fitzpatrick2013-05-17 18:21:14 UTC
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is denying the reported existence of camera-phone footage showing him partaking in crack cocaine.
How is that video not online yet, you ask? Gawker's John Cook posted a story describing the video, but refused to pay the sources the $200,000 they demanded for the file. Cook — who broke the story Thursday — has turned to crowdfunding platform IndieGoGo to raise the cash for the footage.
Cook's "Rob Ford Crackstarter" has only raised $55 at press time, though three separate Ford-related campaigns have garnered approximately $2,500 between them.
In a post about the campaign, Cook acknowledges $200,000 is "a lot of money," but says his sources "fear for their safety, and want enough money to pay for a chance to get out of Toronto and set up in a new town." He goes on to address concerns his sources may not be "reliable" kinds of people, but promises that if the deal falls through, whatever funds are raised will be donated to an unnamed Canadian non-profit that assists people with addiction.
Mashable has reached out to IndieGoGo for comment on the various Ford-related campaigns.
Cook's story, along with a separate piece on the video from the Toronto Star, caused a major stir about Ford, who has a well-documented history of strange behavior.
Ford outright rejected the claim Friday afternoon directly to reporters and through his lawyer, generating headlines like "Toronto mayor denies smoking crack cocaine."
"I think unless one has expertise in crack cocaine smoking it is very difficult to gauge what a person is actually doing in an alleged video," Ford's laywer Dennis Morris told the Toronto Sun.
Toronto Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday also came to Ford's defense, telling The Sun the claims are "just allegations until they are proven" and reminding reporters that video footage is notoriously easy to fake.
Would you donate to Cook's IndieGoGo campaign? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Image via Dennis Grombkowski/Getty Images
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