Stintz ‘shocked and embarrassed’ by Ford audio

[attach]7747[/attach]Mayoral candidate and Ward 16 councillor Karen Stintz said she’s appreciative of her constituents for their understanding following the latest Rob Ford debacle.

“I want my constituents to know I’m still working on their behalf, I will continue to represent them at City Hall, and I have faith in the city that on Oct. 27 we will make a choice and choose a new leader for our city,” she said, speaking exclusively with the Town Crier following a media scrum at City Hall this morning.

Stintz said she had nothing else to say “other than to thank [constituents] for reaching out with their support,” after an audio recording allegedly featuring Mayor Rob Ford surfaced late Wednesday, containing lewd sexual comments about Stintz.

She told reporters the comments left her “shocked and embarrassed” and needing to tell her children this morning that “the mayor said some mean things about their mommy.”

Also on Wednesday a new video allegedly showing the mayor smoking crack cocaine surfaced, leading to Ford announcing he would be taking time off from campaigning and from his mayoral duties to go to rehab for alcohol abuse.

The embattled mayor has been the focus of several controversies in the past year, including an ongoing crack cocaine scandal and police investigation, which targeted his close personal friend and occasional driver, Alexander Lisi. In the midst of the scandals, council voted to hand over the majority of Ford’s powers to deputy mayor Norm Kelly.

In a prepared statement early this morning, Ford said he is committed to “getting myself right” and thanked Torontonians for their “ongoing support and encouragement.”

The statement did not, however, address his words toward Stintz, something she said is too late for him to make amends on now.

“If Rob Ford was really sorry, he would’ve apologized to me last night,” she said. “Rob Ford needs to get help.”[font=Calibri][size=15px][font=Calibri][size=15px][/font][/font]