Ronny Jackson Withdraws As VA Nominee

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Updated at 9:05 a.m. ET

Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, President Trump's embattled nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, has withdrawn from consideration for the post amid allegations he had fostered a hostile work environment and behaved improperly while serving as the top doctor leading the White House medical unit.

In a statement Thursday morning, Jackson said, "Going into this process, I expected tough questions about how to best care for our veterans, but I did not expect to have to dignify baseless and anonymous attacks on my character and integrity."

He continued, "While I will forever be grateful for the trust and confidence President Trump has placed in me by giving me this opportunity, I am regretfully withdrawing my nomination to be Secretary for the Department of Veterans Affairs."

On Wednesday, Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., the ranking member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee released a two-page statement detailing allegations against Jackson from 23 unnamed individuals.

The allegations included providing "a large supply" of the opioid Percocet to a member of the White House Military Office and wrecking a government car while driving drunk after a Secret Service going-away party. Jackson denied wrecking a vehicle to reporters.

In an interview with Fox & Friends on Thursday after Jackson's withdrawal, Trump said Jackson "would have done a great job" and "had a perfect record" and called the allegations against him false.

The Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee had postponed Jackson's confirmation hearing, originally slated for Wednesday, after accusations of misconduct surfaced against Jackson, who has served as the personal physician for the president under the Trump and Obama administrations.

In an interview Tuesday with NPR's All Things Considered, Tester said committee staffers "were told stories where he was repeatedly drunk while on duty where his main job was to take care of the most powerful man in the world. That's not acceptable," Tester said, noting the various allegations date back to when Jackson oversaw President Barack Obama's health care.

"Some of the exact words that were used by the folks we talked to were 'abusive toward staff,' 'very explosive personality,' 'belittles the folks underneath him,' staff that he oversaw. 'Screamed toward staff,' " Tester said. "Basically creating an environment where the staff felt that they needed to walk on eggshells when they were around him."

Politics Montana Sen. Jon Tester Weighs In On Delayed Confirmation Hearing For Ronny Jackson Montana Sen. Jon Tester Weighs In On Delayed Confirmation Hearing For Ronny Jackson Listen · 6:58 6:58

In the Fox interview, Trump blamed Tester for Jackson's withdrawal and said Tester "has to have a big price to pay in Montana." Tester is up for re-election in November, in a state Trump won handily in 2016.

Trump says he has someone in mind to replace Jackson, saying it's "somebody with political capability."

Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Tester had sent a letter to Trump on Tuesday requesting additional documentation related to Jackson's tenure as the president's doctor and his role leading the White House medical team.

The letter requested information about rumored Pentagon inspector general reports said to detail allegations into Jackson's conduct.

However, Jackson said there was no inspector general report about the allegations. "No, there was not," he said before brushing off questions about whether he would withdraw.

The White House put out a statement to make it clear that Jackson was reporting to work on Thursday in his normal post at the White House Medical Unit. But the questions about his conduct in that position may not necessarily go away just because he has withdrawn his name for the Cabinet post.

Jackson's initial nomination came as a surprise to many when the president announced his pick last month to lead the VA after the departure of Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin, who had been confirmed with unanimous bipartisan support in the Senate.

While previous presidents had praised Jackson's medical care, questions arose almost immediately about whether he had the managerial experience to oversee a massive health care operation of more than 370,000 employees that serves more than 9 million veterans and has a budget of nearly $200 billion.

"Adm. Jackson is highly trained and qualified and as a service member himself, he has seen firsthand the tremendous sacrifice our veterans make and has a deep appreciation for the debt our great country owes them," Trump said in announcing his nomination.

But after the allegations against Jackson began to be reported by national media outlets this week, Trump said he wouldn't be surprised if Jackson wanted to withdraw given the rising storm, but that it was "his decision."

"I wouldn't do it. I wouldn't do it. What does he need it for? To be abused by a bunch of politicians that aren't thinking nicely about our country? I really don't think personally he should do it, but it's totally his — I would stand behind him — totally his decision," Trump remarked Tuesday during a news conference alongside French President Emmanuel Macron.

Ultimately, as he often does, Trump appeared to go with his gut in picking Jackson and it's unclear how much — if any — vetting the White House did before making the selection. Trump had become personally fond of Jackson, especially after he gave the president a glowing review after his first presidential physical earlier this year, even boasting that the 71-year-old president had such "great genes" that "if he had a healthier diet over the last 20 years, he might live to be 200."

Jackson joined the White House medical unit in 2006, helping care for President George W. Bush, and was formally named physician to the president in 2013 by Obama. A West Texas native, he attended Texas A&M; University and the University of Texas Medical Branch, specializing in emergency medicine.

There were also questions about Jackson's position on privatizing the VA — something many of Trump's most conservative backers have pushed for. Shulkin said he believed that was one reason he was ousted from his post, though there were also questions raised about improper travel expenses during his tenure.</s>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on Ronny Jackson, President Donald Trump's pick to be secretary of Veterans Affairs (all times local):

Veterans Affairs nominee Dr. Ronny Jackson spent a late night at the White House huddled with top press aides.

The president's personal physician on Wednesday spent about 45 minutes meeting with White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, deputy Raj Shah and others as allegations surface that threaten to sink his nomination. Sanders said the group had been discussing Jackson's meetings on Capitol Hill.

Senate Democrats released a summary of accusations that included claims he recklessly prescribed drugs.

Shah said on CNN earlier that White House aides are "of course" preparing for the possibility that Jackson may decide to withdraw his nomination.

But Jackson appeared in good spirits as he left the meeting, telling reporters he looks "forward to talking to you guys over the next couple of days."

Embattled Veterans Affairs nominee Dr. Ronny Jackson is denying allegations he was involved in a drunken car wreck.

Jackson tells reporters at the White House he "never wrecked a car." He adds, "I have no idea where that is coming from." He says he's moving forward with his nomination.

The VA nominee is responding after Senate Democrats released a summary of allegations against Jackson that includes claims he recklessly prescribed drugs, had his own private stock of controlled substances and got drunk and crashed a government car.

The White House has rallied behind Jackson, pointing to his past work as a physician to Presidents Donald Trump and Barack Obama.

A summary of allegations against President Donald Trump's pick to head the Department of Veterans Affairs says he recklessly prescribed drugs, had his own private stock of controlled substances and got drunk and crashed a government car.

The summary was released by Democrats as the White House rallied behind Dr. Ronny Jackson.

Based on conversations with 23 of Jackson's colleagues and former colleagues, the review says Jackson was nicknamed "Candyman" by White House staff because he would provide prescriptions without paperwork. Drugs he prescribed included Ambien, used for sleep, and Provigil, used to help wake up.

The colleagues and former colleagues also told congressional staffers that there were multiple incidents of drunkenness on duty and said Jackson got drunk at a Secret Service going-away party and wrecked a government car.

Jackson says he "never wrecked a car."

The chairman of a Senate panel reviewing President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs says the nominee will get a hearing to address complaints made against him of "unprofessional behaviors."

Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson says White House physician Ronny Jackson "deserves a hearing and he's going to get it."

The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee indefinitely postponed Jackson's confirmation hearing, which had been scheduled for Wednesday. It cited a need for more time to investigate complaints made by current and former employees of Jackson about his fitness to be VA secretary.

With Congress set to recess Friday for a week, the earliest a hearing could be held would be in about 10 days.

Jackson denies allegations of bad behavior and says he's looking forward to "answering everybody's questions."

The White House is defending Veterans Affairs nominee Ronny Jackson, insisting the longtime White House doctor has been more thoroughly vetted than most nominees.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says that, "Dr. Jackson's record as a White House physician has been impeccable."

And she says he's received more vetting than most nominees due to his close proximity to the last three presidents.

Still, Sanders says the White House is, "continuing to look at the situation."

Jackson is fighting to salvage his imperiled nomination amid accusations that include repeated drunkenness and creating a "toxic" work environment at the White House.

President Donald Trump has suggested publicly that Jackson may want to withdraw, citing what Trump calls unfair scrutiny.

President Donald Trump is sending mixed signals about the future of his nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Trump suggested during a news conference Tuesday that White House physician Ronny Jackson may want to withdraw amid questions about his professional and personal behavior. In private, the president is said to be urging Jackson to keep fighting for confirmation.

Jackson has given no indication that he will take himself out of consideration for the VA job.

A watchdog report requested in 2012 and reviewed by The Associated Press found that Jackson and a rival physician exhibited "unprofessional behaviors" as they engaged in a power struggle over the White House medical unit.

A Senate committee has revealed separate allegations of improper prescribing of drugs and the use of alcohol.</s>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on Ronny Jackson, President Donald Trump's pick to be secretary of Veterans Affairs (all times local):

Veterans Affairs nominee Dr. Ronny Jackson spent a late night at the White House huddled with top press aides.

The president's personal physician on Wednesday spent about 45 minutes meeting with White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, deputy Raj Shah and others as allegations surface that threaten to sink his nomination. Sanders said the group had been discussing Jackson's meetings on Capitol Hill.

Senate Democrats released a summary of accusations that included claims he recklessly prescribed drugs.

Shah said on CNN earlier that White House aides are "of course" preparing for the possibility that Jackson may decide to withdraw his nomination.

But Jackson appeared in good spirits as he left the meeting, telling reporters he looks "forward to talking to you guys over the next couple of days."

Embattled Veterans Affairs nominee Dr. Ronny Jackson is denying allegations he was involved in a drunken car wreck.

Jackson tells reporters at the White House he "never wrecked a car." He adds, "I have no idea where that is coming from." He says he's moving forward with his nomination.

The VA nominee is responding after Senate Democrats released a summary of allegations against Jackson that includes claims he recklessly prescribed drugs, had his own private stock of controlled substances and got drunk and crashed a government car.

The White House has rallied behind Jackson, pointing to his past work as a physician to Presidents Donald Trump and Barack Obama.

A summary of allegations against President Donald Trump's pick to head the Department of Veterans Affairs says he recklessly prescribed drugs, had his own private stock of controlled substances and got drunk and crashed a government car.

The summary was released by Democrats as the White House rallied behind Dr. Ronny Jackson.

Based on conversations with 23 of Jackson's colleagues and former colleagues, the review says Jackson was nicknamed "Candyman" by White House staff because he would provide prescriptions without paperwork. Drugs he prescribed included Ambien, used for sleep, and Provigil, used to help wake up.

The colleagues and former colleagues also told congressional staffers that there were multiple incidents of drunkenness on duty and said Jackson got drunk at a Secret Service going-away party and wrecked a government car.

Jackson says he "never wrecked a car."

The chairman of a Senate panel reviewing President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs says the nominee will get a hearing to address complaints made against him of "unprofessional behaviors."

Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson says White House physician Ronny Jackson "deserves a hearing and he's going to get it."

The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee indefinitely postponed Jackson's confirmation hearing, which had been scheduled for Wednesday. It cited a need for more time to investigate complaints made by current and former employees of Jackson about his fitness to be VA secretary.

With Congress set to recess Friday for a week, the earliest a hearing could be held would be in about 10 days.

Jackson denies allegations of bad behavior and says he's looking forward to "answering everybody's questions."

The White House is defending Veterans Affairs nominee Ronny Jackson, insisting the longtime White House doctor has been more thoroughly vetted than most nominees.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says that, "Dr. Jackson's record as a White House physician has been impeccable."

And she says he's received more vetting than most nominees due to his close proximity to the last three presidents.

Still, Sanders says the White House is, "continuing to look at the situation."

Jackson is fighting to salvage his imperiled nomination amid accusations that include repeated drunkenness and creating a "toxic" work environment at the White House.

President Donald Trump has suggested publicly that Jackson may want to withdraw, citing what Trump calls unfair scrutiny.

President Donald Trump is sending mixed signals about the future of his nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Trump suggested during a news conference Tuesday that White House physician Ronny Jackson may want to withdraw amid questions about his professional and personal behavior. In private, the president is said to be urging Jackson to keep fighting for confirmation.

Jackson has given no indication that he will take himself out of consideration for the VA job.

A watchdog report requested in 2012 and reviewed by The Associated Press found that Jackson and a rival physician exhibited "unprofessional behaviors" as they engaged in a power struggle over the White House medical unit.

A Senate committee has revealed separate allegations of improper prescribing of drugs and the use of alcohol.</s>WASHINGTON -- The White House said Friday that internal records raise doubt about some of the most serious allegations leveled against White House doctor Ronny Jackson in his failed bid to become the next secretary of Veterans Affairs. Jackson withdrew his nomination Thursday after allegations by current and former colleagues raised questions about his prescribing practices and leadership ability, including accusations of drunkenness on the job.

Democratic Sen. Jon Tester's office collected the allegations, which included a claim that Jackson "got drunk and wrecked a government vehicle" at a Secret Service going-away party.
• None Commentary: What Ronny Jackson reveals about our politics 



The records, including police reports, show Jackson was in three minor vehicle incidents in government vehicles during the last five years, but none involved the use of alcohol and he was not found to be at fault. In one case, a side-view mirror was clipped by a passing truck. In another incident an enraged driver in Montgomery County, Maryland, allegedly punched out Jackson's window during a morning drive to Camp David.

The White House medical unit that Jackson ran successfully passed regular controlled substance audits, according to the records for the last three years. The reviews did recommend improvements to the medical unit's handling of controlled substances, but did not find misconduct.

The Associated Press reviewed the documents Friday. They were the result of an internal White House review of allegations raised against Jackson during his brief confirmation process. The White House says the records, covering recent years, disprove the allegations.

But Tester's office has not specified the time frame during which the alleged misconduct occurred. Tester spokeswoman Marnee Banks said the office would not comment until it knew more about the White House records.

Separately, the Secret Service said it has no evidence to support an allegation that its personnel intervened to prevent Jackson from disturbing former President Obama during a foreign trip in 2015.

In a statement dated Thursday, the Secret Service said it had conducted a "thorough review" of internal documents related to Mr. Obama's foreign trips in 2015 and interviewed people who were present. The agency said it has found "no information that would indicate the allegation is accurate" and no record of any incident involving Jackson.

CNN had reported allegations that Jackson drunkenly banged on the hotel room door of a female employee and that Secret Service personnel intervened out of concern that he would wake Mr. Obama.

Jackson has denied the accusations, calling them "baseless and anonymous attacks" on his character and integrity that are "completely false and fabricated."

And President Trump has repeatedly come to Jackson's defense.

Asked about the situation at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Mr. Trump called it "an absolute disgrace."

"These were false accusations about a great man; about a man who has a son who's a top student at Annapolis; about a man that's given his life to this country, and to the military - a brave man. He would have been a great leader," Mr. Trump complained, noting that he, Mr. Obama and former President George W. Bush had all praised the doctor's conduct in the past.

Mr. Trump said he'd called Jackson earlier Friday and told him that he was "an American hero" because he'd "exposed the system for some horrible things."

He also drew a parallel with the investigation into Russian meddling into the 2016 campaign, saying he, too, had been victimized, by "the Russian collusion hoax."

Mr. Trump said he is considering a number of potential replacements, including "some very political people" who might be better equipped to handle the scrutiny that comes with a nomination.

The Democratic staff on the committee considering Jackson's nomination also claimed Jackson had doled out such a large supply of a prescription opioid that staffers panicked because they thought the drugs were missing.

They said their allegations were based on conversations with 23 of Jackson's current and former colleagues at the White House Medical Unit.</s>WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump’s nominee to run the Veterans Affairs department withdrew his candidacy Thursday morning, following the release of allegations that he wrecked a government vehicle while drunk and freely gave out prescription drugs without paperwork.

Dr. Ronny Jackson, who is Mr. Trump’s White House physician, took himself out of the running after Democrats on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee released a summary of allegations they had compiled through interviews with about two dozen people who have worked...</s>WASHINGTON — Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson has withdrawn as President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, he said in a statement Thursday morning.

His nomination was hampered by a flurry of allegations about Jackson’s professional conduct.

In a statement announcing his withdrawal, Jackson slammed allegations of improper behavior leveled against him as “completely false and fabricated.”

“If they had any merit, I would not have been selected, promoted and entrusted to serve in such a sensitive and important role as physician to three presidents over the past 12 years,” Jackson said. “Going into this process, I expected tough questions about how to best care for our veterans, but I did not expect to have to dignify baseless and anonymous attacks on my character and integrity.”

Jackson said he was motivated to withdraw from consideration because the allegations against him “have become a distraction” for Trump and his agenda.

“Unfortunately, because of how Washington works, these false allegations have become a distraction for this President and the important issue we must be addressing — how we give the best care to our nation’s heroes,” Jackson said. “While I will forever be grateful for the trust and confidence President Trump has placed in me by giving me this opportunity, I am regretfully withdrawing my nomination to be Secretary for the Department of Veterans Affairs.”

Speaking on “Fox & Friends” Thursday morning, Trump said Jackson’s withdrawal was not unexpected.

“I even told him a day or two ago I saw where this was going,” Trump said.

On Wednesday evening, the release of a two-page document written by Democratic staff on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee that included a list of allegations from the committee’s conversations with nearly two dozen of Jackson’s former and current colleagues made Jackson’s chances at survival more uncertain.

According to the summary released by Senate Democrats — the contents of which remain under investigation by lawmakers and have not yet been substantiated — Jackson was allegedly “abusive” to his colleagues, loosely handled prescription pain medications and was periodically intoxicated, even once wrecking a government vehicle while drunk.

Jackson has not responded to the allegations in their totality, but told reporters on Wednesday that he did not wreck the government car and had indicated at the time that he planned to continue in the nominating process.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee had raised concerns this week about allegations involving Jackson, the White House physician, and had started to review the allegations in an effort to determine whether they were sufficient to upend his nomination.

Jackson had been expected to appear on Capitol Hill on Wednesday for a confirmation hearing, but that hearing was postponed indefinitely as members were assessing allegations about the White House physician’s behavior.

Whistleblowers who spoke to the panel described a “toxic” work environment under Jackson’s leadership and questionable behavior, including excessive drinking, CNN has reported.

On Wednesday, before the allegations from the Democratic staff of the veterans’ panel became public, the White House mounted a robust defense of Jackson, with White House press secretary Sarah Sanders telling reporters he had an “impeccable” record. Sanders suggested that Jackson’s current position as the White House physician meant that he had been more thoroughly vetted than other Cabinet nominees.

At one point on Wednesday, Trump raised the prospect of going into the briefing room himself to stick up for Jackson, to say that he is a good guy and had his support. But several senior administration officials, including Sanders, advised against that move.

But later Wednesday, after the allegations included in that Democratic document were released, Trump himself began to wonder out loud whether Jackson should step aside “before things get worse” and White House aides were preparing for that possibility, officials told CNN.

Jackson’s withdrawal marks the most recent setback for Trump’s Cabinet, which has had a high rate of turnover. A number of Cabinet officials have faced criticism and scrutiny over their spending habits and ethical judgement, including Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson. Jackson also isn’t the first nominee to withdraw. Andrew Puzder pulled his name from consideration last year to become labor secretary after facing intense opposition to his nomination.

Trump had defended Jackson even after the allegations against him surfaced.

On Tuesday, the President called Jackson “one of the finest people I have ever met.” Trump said he was not aware of the specifics of the allegations and added that it was up to Jackson to decide whether to press forward. “It’s totally his decision,” the President said, adding, “I don’t want to put a man through a process like this. It’s too ugly and disgusting.”

But Trump also acknowledged that Jackson lacks a background in running a government agency.

“There’s a lack of experience,” he said.

When Trump announced his intent to nominate Jackson in March, the decision came as a surprise on Capitol Hill, where members on both sides of the aisle raised questions about whether Jackson was qualified to lead the sprawling Department of Veterans Affairs. While Jackson served as White House physician under three presidents, his policy views were relatively unknown and some lawmakers expressed concern over whether he had the managerial experience necessary to steer the department.

Trump announced his intention to nominate Jackson as a replacement for David Shulkin, in a presidential tweet last month. Shulkin became embroiled in controversy of his own after the VA inspector general released a damaging report accusing him and other department personnel of “serious derelictions,” but was also locked in a policy-based power struggle with members of his staff and political appointees. Trump later said he was dissatisfied with the “speed with which our veterans were taken care of” under Shulkin’s leadership.

A graduate of Texas A&M University, Jackson started active-duty naval service in 1995, according to his official US Navy biography. He was chosen to serve as White House physician in 2006 during the administration of George W. Bush, and later served as the physician for then-President Barack Obama.

In January, Jackson made headlines after declaring he had “no concerns” about Trump’s cognitive ability after the President underwent a neurological screening. Jackson’s performance during that extended news conference played a part in Trump’s decision to nominate him to lead the VA, a White House official told CNN.

Tuesday, the Senate committee’s top Democrat, Montana’s Jon Tester, told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that around 20 people had raised concerns to the committee about Jackson, and according to those people, Jackson would hand out prescriptions “like candy.”

Tester described reports to the committee that alleged that on overseas trips, Jackson would “go down the aisle way of the airplane and say, ‘All right, who wants to go to sleep?’ And hand out the prescription drugs like they were candy … and put them to sleep and then give them the drugs to wake them back up again.”

“These are called controlled substances for a reason,” Tester said on “Anderson Cooper 360.”

The White House doctor also faced allegations of being drunk while overseas with then-President Barack Obama.

“If you are drunk and something happens with the President, it’s very difficult to go in and treat the President,” Tester said. “That’s what multiple people told us, this was the case on several different trips.”

Other concerns about Jackson included allegations of a toxic work environment, the senator confirmed.

“We were told time and time again the people above him he treated like gold, the people below him, he belittled, screamed at them, really created a very toxic environment to the point where the people who worked around him felt like they had to walk on eggshells because of his lack of respect for his job,” Tester said.

In a letter to Trump sent Tuesday, the senators requested information “regarding allegations or incidents” involving Jackson dating to 2006, the year he was tapped to become White House physician.

One source on the committee told CNN prior to Jackson’s withdrawal that lawmakers were also requesting information from the FBI, including Jackson’s background check. Tester later said the FBI background investigation into Jackson was “clean.”

Congressional sources also told CNN that committee aides had been in touch with individuals associated with additional allegations about prescriptions handled by the White House Medical Unit, which oversees the medical care of the president and administration aides.

While campaigning for the presidency, Trump pledged to make improvements at the Veterans Affairs Department, including reducing wait times for care, upgrading technology and taking steps to facilitate access to private care.

Since his dismissal, Shulkin has warned against privatizing veterans’ health care. In a statement released in early April, the VA shot down the idea, saying “there is no effort underway to privatize” veterans’ care and that “to suggest otherwise is completely false.”</s>Ronny Jackson, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, has withdrawn his nomination amid serious allegations of workplace misconduct that first emerged this week. The accusations, which were listed in a two-page memo released Wednesday, include drinking on the job, improperly dispensing drugs, and creating a hostile work environment.

In a statement Thursday morning, Jackson labeled the accusations as “baseless and anonymous.”

“The allegations against me are completely false and fabricated,” Jackson said. “If they had any merit, I would not have been selected, promoted, and entrusted to serve in such a sensitive and important role as physician to three presidents over the past 12 years.”

He continued: “Unfortunately, because of how Washington works, these false allegations have become a distraction for this President and the important issue we must be addressing—how we give the best care to our nation’s heroes.”

As news of Jackson’s decision broke, President Donald Trump appeared in a phone interview with “Fox & Friends” where he blasted Democrats for “trying to destroy” Jackson’s life. He also blamed Montana Sen. Jon Tester, the top Democrat on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, for Jackson’s undoing, implying that he would seek political revenge on him.

“I think Jon Tester has to have a big price to pay in Montana,” the president said.</s>Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, President Donald Trump's choice to be secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, has withdrawn his nomination. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

(RNN) – Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, the White House physician and President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, has withdrawn himself from the confirmation process after multiple allegations of improper behavior.

In a statement from the White House, Jackson said he did not expect to have to dignify "baseless and anonymous attacks on my character and integrity." He called the claims against him false and fabricated, according to the Associated Press.

Jackson continues to serve as the White House physician. Trump nominated him to replace former VA Secretary David Shulkin, who was fired in March.

The president praised Jackson on a phone interview Thursday with "Fox and Friends," saying he would have done a great job.

Lawmakers found the nomination a surprising move, going from a role of doctor for one to a bureaucrat overseeing 360,000 staffers to take care of around 9 million U.S. veterans. And that was before accounts of questionable behavior on Jackson’s part emerged.

Jackson has been accused of recklessly prescribing medication, acting abusively toward colleagues and being intoxicated while on call – in one case being "passed out drunk in his hotel room" when his medical help was needed.

Once he was accused of getting drunk and wrecking a government vehicle. Another time he was accused of getting drunk and banging on the hotel room door of a female employee during an overseas trip.

Jackson was reportedly given the nickname "Candyman," for the way he handed out drugs, according to a summary report compiled by Democratic staff on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee released Wednesday. The report was based on conversations with 23 of Jackson’s colleagues at the White House Medical Unit.

Jackson denied the allegations and had said he’s looking forward to "answering everybody’s questions." Trump said in his interview there would be "a big price to pay in Montana" for Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, who headed the committee report and is running for re-election.

Multiple outlets reported Wednesday evening that Jackson met with the White House press team. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders called the meeting a "debrief" after Jackson met with GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill earlier Wednesday.

President Trump and his aides were discussing the possibility that Jackson could withdraw his nomination, though White House officials said the decision was Jackson’s to make.

The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee had set Jackson’s confirmation hearing for Wednesday, but indefinitely postponed the hearing after the allegations came out.

Jackson also served as the physician to presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush. He earned his medical degree from the University of Texas in 1995, the same year he began his active duty Naval service. He was chosen as the White House physician in 2006 while deployed in Iraq.</s>Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson has withdrawn as President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, he said in a statement Thursday morning.

His nomination was hampered by a flurry of allegations about Jackson’s professional conduct.

In a statement announcing his withdrawal, Jackson slammed allegations of improper behavior leveled against him as “completely false and fabricated.”

“If they had any merit, I would not have been selected, promoted and entrusted to serve in such a sensitive and important role as physician to three presidents over the past 12 years,” Jackson said. “Going into this process, I expected tough questions about how to best care for our veterans, but I did not expect to have to dignify baseless and anonymous attacks on my character and integrity.”

Jackson said he was motivated to withdraw from consideration because the allegations against him “have become a distraction” for Trump and his agenda.

“Unfortunately, because of how Washington works, these false allegations have become a distraction for this President and the important issue we must be addressing — how we give the best care to our nation’s heroes,” Jackson said. “While I will forever be grateful for the trust and confidence President Trump has placed in me by giving me this opportunity, I am regretfully withdrawing my nomination to be Secretary for the Department of Veterans Affairs.”

On Wednesday evening, the release of a two-page document written by Democratic staff on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee that included a list of allegations from the committee’s conversations with nearly two dozen of Jackson’s former and current colleagues made Jackson’s chances at survival more uncertain.

According to the summary released by Senate Democrats — the contents of which remain under investigation by lawmakers and have not yet been substantiated — Jackson was allegedly “abusive” to his colleagues, loosely handled prescription pain medications and was periodically intoxicated, even once wrecking a government vehicle while drunk.

Jackson has not responded to the allegations in their totality, but told reporters on Wednesday that he did not wreck the government car and had indicated at the time that he planned to continue in the nominating process.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee had raised concerns this week about allegations involving Jackson, the White House physician, and had started to review the allegations in an effort to determine whether they were sufficient to upend his nomination.

Jackson had been expected to appear on Capitol Hill on Wednesday for a confirmation hearing, but that hearing was postponed indefinitely as members were assessing allegations about the White House physician’s behavior.

Whistleblowers who spoke to the panel described a “toxic” work environment under Jackson’s leadership and questionable behavior, including excessive drinking, CNN has reported.

On Wednesday, before the allegations from the Democratic staff of the veterans’ panel became public, the White House mounted a robust defense of Jackson, with White House press secretary Sarah Sanders telling reporters he had an “impeccable” record. Sanders suggested that Jackson’s current position as the White House physician meant that he had been more thoroughly vetted than other Cabinet nominees.

At one point on Wednesday, Trump raised the prospect of going into the briefing room himself to stick up for Jackson, to say that he is a good guy and had his support. But several senior administration officials, including Sanders, advised against that move.

But later Wednesday, after the allegations included in that Democratic document were released, Trump himself began to wonder out loud whether Jackson should step aside “before things get worse” and White House aides were preparing for that possibility, officials told CNN.

Jackson’s withdrawal marks the most recent setback for Trump’s Cabinet, which has had a high rate of turnover. A number of Cabinet officials have faced criticism and scrutiny over their spending habits and ethical judgement, including Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson. Jackson also isn’t the first nominee to withdraw. Andrew Puzder pulled his namefrom consideration last year to become labor secretary after facing intense opposition to his nomination.

Trump had defended Jackson even after the allegations against him surfaced.

On Tuesday, the President called Jackson “one of the finest people I have ever met.” Trump said he was not aware of the specifics of the allegations and added that it was up to Jackson to decide whether to press forward. “It’s totally his decision,” the President said, adding, “I don’t want to put a man through a process like this. It’s too ugly and disgusting.”

But Trump also acknowledged that Jackson lacks a background in running a government agency.

“There’s a lack of experience,” he said.

When Trump announced his intent to nominate Jackson in March, the decision came as a surprise on Capitol Hill, where members on both sides of the aisle raised questions about whether Jackson was qualified to lead the sprawling Department of Veterans Affairs. While Jackson served as White House physician under three presidents, his policy views were relatively unknown and some lawmakers expressed concern over whether he had the managerial experience necessary to steer the department.

Trump announced his intention to nominate Jackson as a replacement for David Shulkin, in a presidential tweet last month. Shulkin became embroiled in controversy of his own after the VA inspector general released a damaging report accusing him and other department personnel of “serious derelictions,” but was also locked in a policy-based power struggle with members of his staff and political appointees. Trump later said he was dissatisfied with the “speed with which our veterans were taken care of” under Shulkin’s leadership.

A graduate of Texas A&M University, Jackson started active-duty naval service in 1995, according to his official US Navy biography. He was chosen to serve as White House physician in 2006 during the administration of George W. Bush, and later served as the physician for then-President Barack Obama.

In January, Jackson made headlines after declaring he had “no concerns” about Trump’s cognitive ability after the President underwent a neurological screening. Jackson’s performance during that extended news conference played a part in Trump’s decision to nominate him to lead the VA, a White House official told CNN.

Tuesday, the Senate committee’s top Democrat, Montana’s Jon Tester, told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that around 20 people had raised concerns to the committee about Jackson, and according to those people, Jackson would hand out prescriptions “like candy.”

Tester described reports to the committee that alleged that on overseas trips, Jackson would “go down the aisle way of the airplane and say, ‘All right, who wants to go to sleep?’ And hand out the prescription drugs like they were candy … and put them to sleep and then give them the drugs to wake them back up again.”

“These are called controlled substances for a reason,” Tester said on “Anderson Cooper 360.”

The White House doctor also faced allegations of being drunk while overseas with then-President Barack Obama.

“If you are drunk and something happens with the President, it’s very difficult to go in and treat the President,” Tester said. “That’s what multiple people told us, this was the case on several different trips.”

Other concerns about Jackson included allegations of a toxic work environment, the senator confirmed.

“We were told time and time again the people above him he treated like gold, the people below him, he belittled, screamed at them, really created a very toxic environment to the point where the people who worked around him felt like they had to walk on eggshells because of his lack of respect for his job,” Tester said.

In a letter to Trump sent Tuesday, the senators requested information “regarding allegations or incidents” involving Jackson dating to 2006, the year he was tapped to become White House physician.

One source on the committee told CNN prior to Jackson’s withdrawal that lawmakers were also requesting information from the FBI, including Jackson’s background check. Tester later said the FBI background investigation into Jackson was “clean.”

Congressional sources also told CNN that committee aides had been in touch with individuals associated with additional allegations about prescriptions handled by the White House Medical Unit, which oversees the medical care of the president and administration aides.

While campaigning for the presidency, Trump pledged to make improvements at the Veterans Affairs Department, including reducing wait times for care, upgrading technology and taking steps to facilitate access to private care.

Since his dismissal, Shulkin has warned against privatizing veterans’ health care. In a statement released in early April, the VA shot down the idea, saying “there is no effort underway to privatize” veterans’ care and that “to suggest otherwise is completely false.”

Ronny Jackson withdraws as VA secretary nominee

 26 APR 18 08:09 ET

 By Clare Foran, Juana Summers and Jeremy Diamond, CNN

 (CNN) — Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson has withdrawn as President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, he said in a statement Thursday morning.

His nomination was hampered by a flurry of allegations about Jackson’s professional conduct.

In a statement announcing his withdrawal, Jackson slammed allegations of improper behavior leveled against him as “completely false and fabricated.”

“If they had any merit, I would not have been selected, promoted and entrusted to serve in such a sensitive and important role as physician to three presidents over the past 12 years,” Jackson said. “Going into this process, I expected tough questions about how to best care for our veterans, but I did not expect to have to dignify baseless and anonymous attacks on my character and integrity.”

Jackson said he was motivated to withdraw from consideration because the allegations against him “have become a distraction” for Trump and his agenda.

“Unfortunately, because of how Washington works, these false allegations have become a distraction for this President and the important issue we must be addressing — how we give the best care to our nation’s heroes,” Jackson said. “While I will forever be grateful for the trust and confidence President Trump has placed in me by giving me this opportunity, I am regretfully withdrawing my nomination to be Secretary for the Department of Veterans Affairs.”

On Wednesday evening, the release of a two-page document written by Democratic staff on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee that included a list of allegations from the committee’s conversations with nearly two dozen of Jackson’s former and current colleagues made Jackson’s chances at survival more uncertain.

According to the summary released by Senate Democrats — the contents of which remain under investigation by lawmakers and have not yet been substantiated — Jackson was allegedly “abusive” to his colleagues, loosely handled prescription pain medications and was periodically intoxicated, even once wrecking a government vehicle while drunk.

Jackson has not responded to the allegations in their totality, but told reporters on Wednesday that he did not wreck the government car and had indicated at the time that he planned to continue in the nominating process.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee had raised concerns this week about allegations involving Jackson, the White House physician, and had started to review the allegations in an effort to determine whether they were sufficient to upend his nomination.

Jackson had been expected to appear on Capitol Hill on Wednesday for a confirmation hearing, but that hearing was postponed indefinitely as members were assessing allegations about the White House physician’s behavior.

Whistleblowers who spoke to the panel described a “toxic” work environment under Jackson’s leadership and questionable behavior, including excessive drinking, CNN has reported.

On Wednesday, before the allegations from the Democratic staff of the veterans’ panel became public, the White House mounted a robust defense of Jackson, with White House press secretary Sarah Sanders telling reporters he had an “impeccable” record. Sanders suggested that Jackson’s current position as the White House physician meant that he had been more thoroughly vetted than other Cabinet nominees.

At one point on Wednesday, Trump raised the prospect of going into the briefing room himself to stick up for Jackson, to say that he is a good guy and had his support. But several senior administration officials, including Sanders, advised against that move.

But later Wednesday, after the allegations included in that Democratic document were released, Trump himself began to wonder out loud whether Jackson should step aside “before things get worse” and White House aides were preparing for that possibility, officials told CNN.

Jackson’s withdrawal marks the most recent setback for Trump’s Cabinet, which has had a high rate of turnover. A number of Cabinet officials have faced criticism and scrutiny over their spending habits and ethical judgement, including Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson. Jackson also isn’t the first nominee to withdraw. Andrew Puzder pulled his name from consideration last year to become labor secretary after facing intense opposition to his nomination.

Trump had defended Jackson even after the allegations against him surfaced.

On Tuesday, the President called Jackson “one of the finest people I have ever met.” Trump said he was not aware of the specifics of the allegations and added that it was up to Jackson to decide whether to press forward. “It’s totally his decision,” the President said, adding, “I don’t want to put a man through a process like this. It’s too ugly and disgusting.”

But Trump also acknowledged that Jackson lacks a background in running a government agency.

“There’s a lack of experience,” he said.

When Trump announced his intent to nominate Jackson in March, the decision came as a surprise on Capitol Hill, where members on both sides of the aisle raised questions about whether Jackson was qualified to lead the sprawling Department of Veterans Affairs. While Jackson served as White House physician under three presidents, his policy views were relatively unknown and some lawmakers expressed concern over whether he had the managerial experience necessary to steer the department.

Trump announced his intention to nominate Jackson as a replacement for David Shulkin, in a presidential tweet last month. Shulkin became embroiled in controversy of his own after the VA inspector general released a damaging report accusing him and other department personnel of “serious derelictions,” but was also locked in a policy-based power struggle with members of his staff and political appointees. Trump later said he was dissatisfied with the “speed with which our veterans were taken care of” under Shulkin’s leadership.

A graduate of Texas A&M University, Jackson started active-duty naval service in 1995, according to his official US Navy biography. He was chosen to serve as White House physician in 2006 during the administration of George W. Bush, and later served as the physician for then-President Barack Obama.

In January, Jackson made headlines after declaring he had “no concerns” about Trump’s cognitive ability after the President underwent a neurological screening. Jackson’s performance during that extended news conference played a part in Trump’s decision to nominate him to lead the VA, a White House official told CNN.

Tuesday, the Senate committee’s top Democrat, Montana’s Jon Tester, told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that around 20 people had raised concerns to the committee about Jackson, and according to those people, Jackson would hand out prescriptions “like candy.”

Tester described reports to the committee that alleged that on overseas trips, Jackson would “go down the aisle way of the airplane and say, ‘All right, who wants to go to sleep?’ And hand out the prescription drugs like they were candy … and put them to sleep and then give them the drugs to wake them back up again.”

“These are called controlled substances for a reason,” Tester said on “Anderson Cooper 360.”

The White House doctor also faced allegations of being drunk while overseas with then-President Barack Obama.

“If you are drunk and something happens with the President, it’s very difficult to go in and treat the President,” Tester said. “That’s what multiple people told us, this was the case on several different trips.”

Other concerns about Jackson included allegations of a toxic work environment, the senator confirmed.

“We were told time and time again the people above him he treated like gold, the people below him, he belittled, screamed at them, really created a very toxic environment to the point where the people who worked around him felt like they had to walk on eggshells because of his lack of respect for his job,” Tester said.

In a letter to Trump sent Tuesday, the senators requested information “regarding allegations or incidents” involving Jackson dating to 2006, the year he was tapped to become White House physician.

One source on the committee told CNN prior to Jackson’s withdrawal that lawmakers were also requesting information from the FBI, including Jackson’s background check. Tester later said the FBI background investigation into Jackson was “clean.”

Congressional sources also told CNN that committee aides had been in touch with individuals associated with additional allegations about prescriptions handled by the White House Medical Unit, which oversees the medical care of the president and administration aides.

While campaigning for the presidency, Trump pledged to make improvements at the Veterans Affairs Department, including reducing wait times for care, upgrading technology and taking steps to facilitate access to private care.

Since his dismissal, Shulkin has warned against privatizing veterans’ health care. In a statement released in early April, the VA shot down the idea, saying “there is no effort underway to privatize” veterans’ care and that “to suggest otherwise is completely false.”</s>Will Ronny Jackson Withdraw His Nomination To Head VA?

Democrats on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee have released a document detailing allegations against Ronny Jackson, President Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Ronny Jackson withdraws as nominee for United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs.