TORONTO

Doug Ford has throttled back his “payback” comments about Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair.

“It just gets heated some times and, to be frank, I wish it didn’t even happen to be honest with you,” Ford told the Sun in an exclusive interview on Saturday. “Everything gets heated down there and everyone gets a little rambunctious - I’m just as bad as anyone else.

“I just want to wish the chief all the best moving forward. He’s leaving, I’m leaving, so I think we should leave on good terms.”

On Friday, Mayor Rob Ford’s brother and campaign manager came out swinging at Blair as news broke that the mayor was about to be served with a subpoena in Sandro Lisi’s extortion trial. Doug Ford went on to suggest the leak of the subpoena information was “payback” for Blair’s contract not being renewed earlier this week. Blair issued a blunt statement in response accusing the councillor of “lying” and stressing he’s prepared to take legal action.

A day later, Ford said he hasn’t been served with any legal notice yet.

“I’m not saying it because of that either,” Ford said on Saturday night. “You get caught up in the fight down at City Hall and sometimes when you sit back at night and you sit back and you think things over, you think, you know, ‘I wish we could all get along.’ Sometimes it is not possible to get along but that’s what I wish.”

And Ford refused to say if he still believes the information coming out was “payback.”

“I can’t make a comment on that,” he said. “Sometimes I get a little rambunctious, sometimes.

“Again, like I said sometimes you sit back and you think of things and I just wish the chief all the best. He has his job to do and I have my job to do.”