Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair says he sought legal advice about what he could disclose about a gang raid and any connection to Mayor Rob Ford and he’s not veering from it.

On Thursday, the chief cited that legal advice when he again refused to answer questions about any Ford involvement in the investigation, or whether any videos have been recovered as part of a sweep targeting a sophisticated guns and drugs trafficking operation, a year-long effort dubbed Project Traveller.

Three legal experts have told the Star the chief could discuss the mayor’s involvement without breaking the law. He could also disclose, even release, a video apparently showing Ford smoking crack cocaine, if police had obtained it.

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“I have no idea where you’re getting your legal advice, but I know where I’m getting mine and I’ve consulted with the Ministry of the Attorney General, people who actually know the law with respect to the disclosure of that information,” Blair told reporters after a Toronto Police Services Board meeting.

“We’ve now put all of our evidence before the courts. Any inquiries now about that evidence should rightfully be directed to the Crown attorney.”

The chief refused to comment on whether he could disclose or exonerate the mayor of any involvement, even if Ford gave him permission to do so.

“I’m not going to comment on the specifics of that,” Blair said. “If you look in the Criminal Code and the Police Services Act, there are very specific sections in there that define exactly what the responsibilities and the authorities of the police are to disclose information and I am following that law to the letter.”

When asked if any videos had been recovered as part of Project Traveller, Blair said he could not say one way or the other.

“I don’t know specifically about all of the evidence in its totality which may have been collected,” he said. “But I’m not prepared to comment on that or to confirm or deny that.”

Police spokesman Mark Pugash later explained that the magnitude of the investigation means an enormous amount of evidence was likely recovered.

“That property has to be examined with the greatest care using skilled experts,” he said. “That takes time.”

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Blair also refused to say whether there is a criminal investigation in the mayor’s office.

The chief said he has not been in contact with the mayor recently and does not recall the last time they spoke, adding he is in touch with city hall and elected officials as required to maintain public safety.

When asked if he thought the chief had the ability to clear the mayor of any involvement, police board chair Alok Mukherjee said: “I’m not answering that question.”

Ford’s office did not respond to several requests for comment about whether he had given the chief permission to clear him of any involvement or if he planned to do so.

The mayor did not take questions from reporters at two public addresses made Thursday.

Ford has previously denied the video exists and has said he does not smoke crack.

Last week, police announced the arrest of 44 people from Toronto, Windsor, Edmonton and Detroit, and have laid more than 200 charges in an alleged guns and drug trafficking ring run by the Dixon City Bloods gang.

On Thursday, police announced the arrest of a Barrie man in connection with the investigation.

Several links have been made between the mayor and Project Traveller since two Star reporters watched the video in the back seat of a car outside a Dixon Rd. complex in Etobicoke.

Sources have told the Star that police became aware of the video during surveillance for Project Traveller.

The Dixon Rd. complex was the focus of raids last week. According to sources, one of the apartments searched is a unit the mayor blurted out at a meeting with staff saying the video could be located there.

A home on Windsor Rd. was also subject to a search warrant and was the setting of a photograph given to the Star of Ford and three men. One of them was shot and killed in March and two others were arrested in the raid.

With files from Daniel Dale, David Rider and Jane Gerster

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