Book claims Rob Ford had drinking & driving problem

Rob Ford made headlines this weekend after posing for a photo with Prime Minister Stephen Harper at a campaign rally in north Etobicoke. But that wasn't the only reason he made the papers. Politico Magazine posted an excerpt from Mark Towhey's (Ford's former chief of staff) forthcoming book "Mayor Rob Ford: Uncontrollable."

Last week, Maclean's Magazine released an excerpt detailing a rather chilling fight between Ford and his wife Renata. In the Politico clip, Towhey recounts Ford's now notorious 2012 St. Patrick's Day celebrations at Toronto City Hall and the Bier Markt. While these revelations aren't all that surprising, Towhey also wrote about Ford's alleged tendency to drink and drive.

"Two senior members of the Toronto Police Service had told me officers had pulled over the mayor's car late at night on multiple occasions and driven him home rather than charging him for driving under the influence," he writes. And, after a staffer saw Ford guzzle a mickey of vodka while driving, Towhey told his staff they weren't allowed to accept rides from the mayor.

According to the Toronto Star, Toronto police spokesperson Mark Pugash has heard about these allegations. But he describes them as "second- or third-hand gossip," notes the Star.

You can read the full "Uncontrollable" excerpt on Politico Magazine's website.

Photo by Barbs in the blogTO Flickr pool.