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Former London civic election candidate Randy Warden is claiming “responsibility” for an attack website targeting his opponent, Ward 5 Coun. Maureen Cassidy, a week after the head of a firm who worked on his campaign was linked to the site’s creation.

Warden insisted he knew nothing about the smear website until it went public, but said he regrets the controversy has “distracted attention from those topics truly important to our community.”

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“Having since learned that these efforts were done by either agents or volunteers with my best interest at heart, this happened on my watch and ultimately, my responsibility,” Warden said of the attack website in a Thursday statement.

Warden was a client of Blackridge Strategy, whose co-owner Amir Farahi was linked in court documents to the creation and payment of two smear websites during the fall civic election campaign.

Warden’s statement included an apology to his “agents and army of volunteers” for any negativity that may have affected them in recent days since Blackridge became embroiled in controversy.

“To my agents and army of volunteers, I appreciate the hard work provided me through my campaign. I regret any ambiguity in our relationship that resulted in so much negative exposure of late. For these aforementioned shortcomings, respectively, you have my sincere apology.”