Judge Kicks Toronto Mayor Out of Office

An Ontario judge ordered Toronto Mayor Rob Ford removed from office today, over an alleged violation of conflict of interest rules. Judge Charles Hackland gave Ford 14 days to vacate the position, acknowledging that the shakeup "will necessitate administrative changes" for Toronto, the CBC reports, but Ford says he's not going quietly. "This comes down to left wing politics," he told reporters outside city hall. "I'm going to fight tooth and nail to hold on to my job."

The judge ruled that Ford had violated the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act by participating in a city council vote about his own fine for violating the council's code of conduct, which had been imposed because he solicited donations for his football charity using city materials. Ford said that if he was ultimately forced out of office, he'd run again; the judge could have banned him from doing so for up to seven years, but didn't. (More Rob Ford stories.)