By Susannah Luthi | April 26,
2018
Dr. Ronny Jackson,
President Donald Trump's embattled pick for Veterans Affairs secretary, bowed
out of the nomination Thursday morning after an intense week of emerging
anonymous allegations of reckless prescribing practices.
"One of the greatest honors in my life has been to serve this country as a physician both on the battlefield with United States Marines and as proud member of the United States Navy," Jackson said in a statement. "It has been my distinct honor and privilege to work at the White House and serve three presidents."
Jackson's withdrawal comes after one day after Democratic staff from the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs on Wednesday released a scathing summary of interviews with 23 "colleagues and former colleagues" of Jackson, claiming he earned the nickname "Candyman" for allegedly reckless prescribing practices, as the Senate delays his confirmation hearing. Additional accusations ranged from allegedly wrecking a government vehicle after getting drunk at a Secret Service party to being described as "vindictive" and "dishonest."
The Democratic staff summary noted that multiple individuals alleged Jackson would hand out Ambien and Provigil on Air Force One without completing paperwork for the controlled medications.
Up until the release of the Democratic memo, the White House had fiercely defended Jackson's character and framed the original leaked reports of bad behavior as resulting from animosity by a disgruntled former colleague of Jackson's.
Senate VA Committee Chair Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and ranking Democrat Jon Tester of Montana delayed Jackson's slated confirmation hearing on Tuesday in light of allegations.
"One of the greatest honors in my life has been to serve this country as a physician both on the battlefield with United States Marines and as proud member of the United States Navy," Jackson said in a statement. "It has been my distinct honor and privilege to work at the White House and serve three presidents."
Jackson's withdrawal comes after one day after Democratic staff from the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs on Wednesday released a scathing summary of interviews with 23 "colleagues and former colleagues" of Jackson, claiming he earned the nickname "Candyman" for allegedly reckless prescribing practices, as the Senate delays his confirmation hearing. Additional accusations ranged from allegedly wrecking a government vehicle after getting drunk at a Secret Service party to being described as "vindictive" and "dishonest."
The Democratic staff summary noted that multiple individuals alleged Jackson would hand out Ambien and Provigil on Air Force One without completing paperwork for the controlled medications.
Up until the release of the Democratic memo, the White House had fiercely defended Jackson's character and framed the original leaked reports of bad behavior as resulting from animosity by a disgruntled former colleague of Jackson's.
Senate VA Committee Chair Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and ranking Democrat Jon Tester of Montana delayed Jackson's slated confirmation hearing on Tuesday in light of allegations.
Susannah Luthi covers
health policy and politics in Congress for Modern Healthcare. Most recently,
Luthi covered health reform and the Affordable Care Act exchanges for Inside
Health Policy. She returned to journalism from a stint abroad exporting vanilla
in Polynesia. She has a bachelor’s degree in Classics and journalism from
Hillsdale College in Michigan and a master’s in professional writing from the
University of Southern California.
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