Toronto

Mayor Rob Ford fired his chief of staff Thursday after growing tired of Mark Towhey urging him to go to rehab, the Toronto Sun has learned.

Towhey was walked out of the mayor’s office by City Hall security and at least one councillor said his firing was “football” related.

But a source familiar with the situation told the Sun Towhey had been pushing Ford for a long time to deal with his “personal problems.”

“I am no longer the chief of staff, I did not resign,” he told surprised reporters as he left City Hall.

Both Ford’s office and Towhey wouldn’t speak about why he was sent packing after almost a year at the helm and years of loyal service.

The abrupt departure of the mayor’s top staffer comes as Ford remains embroiled in ongoing controversy surrounding an alleged video of him smoking what appears to be crack cocaine.

The mayor has called the allegations “ridiculous” but refused to address the claims further despite pleas from his allies.

When a story surfaced in March that Ford had a drinking problem, the mayor dismissed the story as “an outright lie.”

A source speaking on background said Towhey had been pushing Ford for a long time to deal with his “personal problems”.

Last week when the Gawker story alleging crack cocaine use broke, Ford’s senior staff outlined three options for Ford to respond to the scandal.

“The best one was to go away, deal with this and then come back,” the source said, adding that that option seemed the only “real way out of this.”

Ford chose the “fourth option,” to not do anything.

By Wednesday, Ford’s staff were down to urging him to embrace one option — go to rehab.

Towhey reportedly told Ford: “If you don’t do this, we’ve got nothing else, I can’t help you.”

That same day Ford found out he had been dumped as coach of the Don Bosco Eagles.

A “torn-up” Ford had to be talked out of having a party at his house with his football players organized with the help of mayor’s office staff.

Several sources say Towhey stressed to the mayor that he shouldn’t hold the football party because it was “the wrong thing to do.”

His chief of staff urged Ford to deal with his own issues rather than dragging the team into the fray.

“You need to go away, you need to deal with your problem,” Towhey told the mayor according to a source.

Ford screamed and yelled and told Towhey: “If that’s all you’ve got for me, then you might as well leave and don’t come back.”

Towhey left and the firing was formalized Thursday afternoon at City Hall with his march out the front door.

Ford’s press secretary did not respond to repeated attempts late Thursday for a comment on these specific allegations.

As he was ushered out of the mayor’s office, Towhey wouldn’t discuss what advice he had given the mayor.

“I have given the mayor my advice. He can choose to take it or not take it,” Towhey said, before driving out of the City Hall parking garage.

Councillor Jaye Robinson, a member of Ford’s executive committee, called the firing “ill-timed.”

“It was relayed to me by a staff member of the mayor’s office that this issue was related to football.”

Robinson wouldn’t elaborate on how Towhey's firing could be connected to “football”.

“Football has been an ongoing theme during the mayor’s tenure,” she said.

Robinson said she last spoke to Towhey on Wednesday when she urged him to implore Councillor Doug Ford not to speak to the media that day.

“I feel like it puts fuel on the fire and it makes it really look like the mayor is hiding,” she said. Councillor Ford did end up speaking.

A statement released by the mayor’s office lauded Towhey.

“Mr. Towhey has been a intricate (sic) part of the Mayor’s Office and has made many valuable contributions,” the statement read.

“The Mayor thanks Mr. Towhey for his valuable service and wishes him the very best in his future endeavours.”

Ford’s Deputy Chief of Staff Earl Provost will be the acting chief of staff “until further notice”.

Councillor Ford wished Towhey “all the best” but wouldn’t elaborate on why Towhey was fired.

“We don’t discuss personnel issues with anyone but he’s a good guy,” Ford said as he left the mayor's office.

Asked about Towhey’s exit, Councillor Joe Mihevc shook his head.

“Chaos reigns supreme in certain quarters at City Hall,” Mihevc said.

Check back here for live updates from City Hall Friday: