The Gawker website said Thursday it would donate the $200,000 raised to secure the release of a video that allegedly captured Toronto Mayor Rob Ford smoking crack to charity.
Gawker was never able to secure the video in its “Crackstarter” drive, but it said the funds would go to “Canadian organizations that address the fallout from substance abuse.”
Overall, the site was able to net $184,782.61, and for the charities, it would split the donations four ways. More than $46,195 will be donated to the Somali Canadian Association of Etobicoke, South Riverdale Community Health Center, Unison Health and Community Services, and the Ontario Regional Addictions Partnership Committee.
The Toronto Sun basically called on Gawker to release information about what it plans to do with the money on Wednesday. “Will we know soon?” the author of a report asks.
“It’s time to transparently show the public what happened with that cash. No more stalling. Time is up. It’s going to be interesting to see who ends up with this massive amount of money. How it was raised borders on the bizarre and the whole episode ranks as one of the strangest chapters in Toronto political history,” the Sun wrote.
Ford has denied the existence of the video, saying that it doesn’t exist. He also described the allegations against him as “ridiculous.”
