Toronto mayoral hopeful Ford in drug scandal

Another scandal has erupted involving one of the candidates hoping to become the next mayor of Toronto.

In a recorded conversation, Coun. Rob Ford is heard agreeing to try to obtain OxyContin for an HIV-positive man.

Ford doesn't dispute the authenticity of the recording, but claims he is the victim of a dirty tricks campaign by some unknown person.

"Somebody obviously set me up.I don't know [who].I'm not going to make any allegations," he said. "During that conversation a few things that were said could be taken out of context."

The recording was obtained by the Toronto Sun newspaper.

Ford is heard beingasked by Deiter Doneit-Henderson if he can help him get the powerful prescription painkiller.

"Why don't you go on the street and score it?" Ford asks.

But the caller insists on Ford's help to get the drug.

"I'll try buddy, I'll try," says Ford.

At a news conference on Thursday, Ford said he was filing a complaint with police against Doneit-Henderson, who is described in the Sun article as a "30-year-old gay married man" who was having trouble obtaining OxyContin from his doctor.

Doneit-Henderson claimed to need the drug along with 150 mg of Fentanyl "to deal with the pain of a fractured rib and fibromyalgia."

A good deed 'gone horribly wrong,' says Ford

At his news conference, Ford said that during the 52-minute phone conversation he was afraid for the safety of his family.Ford has a wife and two small children.

The 10-year city hall veteran said he tried numerous times to get the man off the line, but without success.Finally he agreed to get the drugs.

"I said what I needed to say to get this person off the phone without provoking him.His tenor became threatening. I feared for my family. He clearly said on the tape that he could see my house," said Ford.

Ford said he feels he's been set up and that the entire incident is somehow related to his bid for the mayor's job.

"There are people out there who will do everything in their power to make sure that I'm not mayor of this great city."

"Obviously there are some people who don't want me to be mayor They know the party's going to be over.They know the wasteful spending is going to come to an end when I become mayor andthey're doing everything in their power to do this."

But Doneit-Henderson said Thursdayhe wasn't threatening Ford. He said he was in pain. "I was upset, I was upset," he told CBC News.

Ford said he went to police, but not until after had discovereda member of the legislative assembly,MPP Donna Cansfield, had also been harassed by the same man and had filed a complaint with police.

"I went to 22 Division and lodged a complaint," he said.

Ford didn't explain why it took him at least 10 days between the time of the phone conversation and the decision to go to police.

A recent poll put Ford in a virtual tie for the lead in the mayor's race among decided voters.

"Unfortunately, this is a good deed that has gone horribly wrong," said Ford.

The city councillor is no stranger to controversy. For years he has steadfastly refused to claim for any office expenses, bringing him into conflict with other councillors. He has also had many confrontations with other politicians, was ejected from a Toronto Maple Leafs game because of his behaviour and was once involved in a domestic conflict at his home.

Earlier this year local councillor and TTC chair Adam Giambrone was forced to abandon his mayoral aspirations after being caught lying about an affair he was having.