Gawker gives up on buying the Rob Ford crack video

Gawker has officially called off its quest for the infamous Rob Ford crack video—which doesn’t come as a big surprise since the clip’s peddlar said the video was “gone” six weeks ago. This afternoon, Gawker editor John Cook announced that the site will split the $184,783 raised through its Crackstarter crowd-funding campaign ($201,199 less Indiegogo and PayPal fees) among four Toronto non-profits: the Somali Canadian Association of Etobicoke, the South Riverdale Community Health Center, Unison Health and Community Services and Ontario Regional Addictions Partnership Committee. We imagine all four organizations are elated at the outcome, though not as elated as Ford, who seems to have emerged from his crack scandal with no more damage than a few lost staff members and a few memorable memes. Read the entire story [Gawker] »