Mark Towhey, former Rob Ford aide, describes working for ex-mayor as 'roller-coaster'

Mark Towhey,Rob Ford's former chief of staff,told CBC News Thursday thatworking in mayor's officer was "a roller-coaster" and that he warned his colleagues not to ride in a car driven by Ford, because he didn't know when the now-former mayor had been drinking.

"My understanding is [Ford drinking and driving]happened more than once and was fairly well known among [senior police officers] at least," said Towhey in an interview on CBC's Metro Morning.

Towheyrefusedto name anysenior police service members who said officers had driven Fordhome instead of charging him with drinking and driving.

"These are completely unsubstantiated allegations and are by now, fourth-hand gossip," saidpolice spokesman MarkPugashon Wednesday when contacted byMetro Morning.

Towheyworked for the mayor during his election campaign and rose to chief-of-staff after Ford's election in 2010.

Towheyhas written a tell-all book about his turbulenttimes working in the mayor's office. His360-page account of the Ford mayoralty,Uncontrollable: How I Tried to Help the World's Most Notorious Mayor,is set for release on Oct.27,and contains some startling revelations.

Towhey told Metro Morning host Matt Galloway that Ford appeared focused and sober during his mayoralty campaign and for a period of about one year after his election in the fall of 2010.

"In the first year, he was on the job and doing well, and something happened around the end of 2011 and the beginning of 2012," said Towhey. "Everything went off the rails."

In one excerpt from the book,Towheytalks about adisturbing late-night phone call hereceived from Ford in which the mayor is heard arguing withhis wife.Towheydescribed hearing a "no-holds-barred screamingfest" in which the former mayor was "agitated" and "incoherent."

Galloway asked Towheywhy he didn't call 911 during that 140-minute phone call if it appeared the argument might escalate into violence.

Mark Towhey talks about disturbing late-night phone call with Rob Ford

9 years ago

Duration 2:51

Mark Towhey talks to Matt Galloway about details from his new book "Uncontrollable: How I Tried to Help the World's Most Notorious Mayor."

"I had in my mind some indicators that would tell me I needed to get the police involved," he said. "We never got there."

Towhey said Thursday that he told his staff not to ride in a car driven by Ford out of concerns for their safety.

In anothersection of the book, Toweyretells a story he heard from a staff member who said Ford drank a 12-ounce bottle of vodka while driving his CadillacEscalade.

He also alleges the Toronto police did not arrest Ford for drinking anddriving,but instead escorted the then-mayor home.

Gallowayasked Towheywhy he didn't call police if he thought Ford had been driving after drinking.

"Did you not have a responsibility to protect everybody else on the roads?" Galloway asked.

"In that in that instance? No," said Towhey. "I was aware that he had done it in the past. If I had information that he was doing it now or at that time if we knew that he was drunk or under the influence of anything when he got into a car would we have called police? Absolutely. That was one of the rules I had with staff."

Ford would later admit to using drugs during the periodTowheydescribesin the book, buthe has not commented on Towhey's specific allegations. CBC News has not been able to independently verify the accounts laid out in the book.

A former confidant

Towhey'slast day working for the mayor was May 22, 2013. It was days after the first revelations about the mayor smoking crack emerged inGawkerand laterinthe Toronto Star.

Towheyhad told Ford to "go away and get help," and the then-mayor decided to dismiss his chief-of-staff after that commentit was reported at the time.

Questions as to how this will affectFord, 46, who is currently a city councillor for Ward 2, have also gone unanswered.

Ford had briefly run for re-election as mayor, but was forced to withdraw from the race when he learned he had a tumour in his stomach. Prior to that, he had also entered rehab.

Ford did not respond to request for comment ahead of the Metro Morning interview.

His current chiefof staff, Dan Jacobs, toldCBC news after the release of an earlier excerpt thepolitician "wishes Mr. Towhey all the best in his future endevours."

Daughter's daily sandwich

In his book Towheyalsosays Ford regularly sent staffers to a particular store to pick up and deliver a sandwich to his daughter. The daily errand took three hours of staff time, something that seemed to Towhey out of step for a mayor who made "respect for taxpayers" his mantra.

Galloway asked Towhey how Ford justified this.

"He couldn't," said Towhey. "The first that I heard of it, my head just about exploded. I explained to him that this is exactly the kind of thing that he professed to hate and was elected to stop. He agreed with me and we were able to find a way to get his daughter fed without it having to involve taxpayer resources."