Toronto Board of Trade crowd laughs at Rob Ford

TORONTO (AP) — Toronto Mayor Rob Ford called a business crowd “elitist” after the crowd laughed repeatedly at him during a debate ahead of next month’s election.

The scandal-plagued mayor became an international celebrity last year after he acknowledged using crack in a “drunken stupor” after months of denials. Ford returned to work June 30 after a two-month rehab stint for drug and alcohol abuse. His behavior embarrassed many residents of Canada’s largest city.