Toronto

Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty — a longtime Ford family friend — was on the verge of tears up as he talked about Mayor Rob Ford’s ongoing crack scandal on Thursday.

“I am close with the family. I am,” Flaherty said in Toronto before a long pause as he appeared to fight back emotion.

“He’ll have to … the mayor will … at the end of the day, he has to make his own decision about what he ought to do.

“Certainly his family is helping him and wishing him well, that’s all I can say.”

Flaherty served in provincial politics with Ford’s father, Doug Ford Sr., and was the lone federal Conservative to endorse Rob Ford during the 2010 election.

He appeared with Ford back in September to announce $660 million from the federal government towards the Scarborough subway — an extension of the Bloor-Danforth line to the Scarborough Town Centre and up to Sheppard Ave.

In February, Flaherty travelled with Ford and Councillor Doug Ford to Chicago for a “personal” weekend out of town.