TORONTO

Toronto Police were asking Mayor Rob Ford’s ex-staff questions about the mayor in the wake of the Project Traveller raids, the Toronto Sun has learned.

At least one former member of the mayor’s office staff was interviewed by police after the June 13 guns and drugs sweep that focused on a Dixon Rd. neighbourhood in north Etobicoke.

Toronto Police have repeatedly refused to say whether or not there is any connection between Project Traveller and Ford. The mayor has also denied he’s connected to the raids or under investigation by police.

Ford has seen several people leave or be fired from his office since an alleged video of him smoking what appears to be crack cocaine first surfaced in May. Most of them have remained tightlipped since leaving the mayor’s office. Several former Ford staffers — who may or may not have been interviewed — did not respond to interview requests.

The lone staffer who admitted he was interviewed by police following the Project Traveller raids would only speak with the Sun on background and refused to elaborate on the specific questions homicide detectives were asking him.

The former staffer said he was shown pictures of individuals by investigators and described it as an attempt by police to “connect the dots.”

“My assumption was it was related to stuff they learned (in Traveller) but I don’t know,” the source said. “I don’t think I was particularly helpful to them.”

On the day of the Project Traveller raids Ford shrugged off a question about him being investigated by police.

“That’s news to me,” Ford said on June 13. “They can investigate me all they want. I haven’t done anything wrong.”

Later that same day, Ford snapped at reporters who kept asking him about any possible connection to the guns and drugs raid.

“I’ve answered so many questions, I don’t know if you guys can’t get it through your thick skulls. Seriously?” Ford said as he walked from his office to a city council meeting. “I’ve already answered all these questions. I have nothing to do with this.”

Ford's spokesman declined to comment Friday.

The mayor’s office was asked if the mayor had any reaction to former staff being interviewed by police, if the mayor stands by his past comments about a possible investigation, if any current members of the mayor’s taxpayer-funded staff have been interviewed and if the mayor himself has been interviewed by police.

Despite being asked about the interviews, police remain tightlipped regarding anything to do with Ford and Project Traveller.

Police spokesman Mark Pugash refused to say if any current or former staffers in the mayor’s office have been interviewed by investigators.

When asked why police won’t say if they’re investigating Ford, Pugash referred to Chief Bill Blair’s Project Traveller press conference on June 14 where he was asked repeatedly why cops won’t say if the mayor is tied to the operation or is under investigation.

“The chief explained, in answer to the same question asked numerous times, what the position of the Toronto Police service was,” Pugash said.

At that time, Blair refused to answer any questions relating to “evidence” for fear of jeopardizing the prosecution of those charged in Traveller.

“All of the evidence will come out in court, where it belongs,” he said at the news conference.

The chief repeated his position after a June 21 Toronto Police Services Board meeting.

“I am not going to jeopardize an important prosecution to satisfy your curiosity,” Blair said at the time.

Pugash confirmed the chief’s stance has not changed since then.