Tag: Veterans Administration

Washington, D.C. (AP) — White House doctor Ronny Jackson withdrew from consideration as Veterans Affairs secretary on Thursday, saying ‘‘false allegations’’ against him have become a distraction.

In a statement the White House issued from Jackson, he said he ‘‘did not expect to have to dignify baseless and anonymous attacks on my character and integrity.’’

Shortly after Jackson dropped out, President Donald Trump called into the Fox & Friends morning show to praise Jackson as an ‘‘incredible man’’ who ‘‘runs a fantastic operation.’’

Trump said Jackson had a ‘‘beautiful record’’ and that there was no proof of the allegations. Added Trump, ‘‘I think Jon Tester has a big price to pay.’’ The president declined to say who he may nominate next. President Donald Trump is praising Ronny Jackson, who has just announced he will withdraw from consideration as Veterans Affairs secretary. Trump says there will be consequences for the Democratic senator who led the charge against Jackson.

In a phone interview with ‘‘Fox & Friends’’ Thursday, Trump says Jackson ‘‘would have done a great job,’’ but that he saw where his nomination was going.

Trump says he told Jackson, a Navy vice admiral: ‘‘Welcome to Washington. Welcome to the swamp. Welcome to the world of politics,’’ Trump places the blame on Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, whose office issued a report Wednesday listing allegations it had gathered about Jackson’s work as White House doctor.

Trump says: ‘‘I think Jon Tester has to have a big price to pay in Montana.’’ Trump says he has an idea for a replacement nominee, adding it will be ‘‘someone with political capability.’’

Jackson faced a series of accusations about his workplace conduct. The latest blow to his nomination to lead the government’s second-largest Cabinet agency came Wednesday with a set of accusations compiled by Democratic staff on the committee considering his nomination.

Based on conversations with 23 of Jackson’s current and former colleagues at the White House Medical Unit, the summary said Jackson exhibited a pattern of recklessly prescribing drugs and drunken behavior, including crashing a government vehicle while intoxicated and doling out such a large supply of a prescription opioid that staffers panicked because they thought the drugs were missing.

In just a matter of days, the allegations transformed Jackson’s reputation as a celebrated doctor attending the president to an embattled nominee accused of drinking on the job and over-prescribing drugs. He was seen pacing back and forth on the White House grounds Wednesday.

Jackson huddled late Wednesday evening with top White House press staff. They declined to comment on the situation.

A former colleague who spoke to The Associated Press described Jackson as a gregarious, Type A charmer who knew how to position himself for success — attentive to bosses but also causing unnecessary grief and consternation among colleagues.

He said Jackson became known as ‘‘Candyman’’ because of the way he handed out drugs. The ex-colleague spoke on condition of anonymity because of fear of retaliation.

The ‘‘Candyman’’ nickname was also cited in the summary released by the Democrats.

In a section on Jackson’s prescribing practices, the summary said that in one case, missing Percocet tabs threw members of the White House Medical Unit into a panic — but it turned out he had prescribed a ‘‘large supply’’ of the opioid to a White House Military Office staffer.

The allegations also referred to multiple incidents of Jackson’s intoxication while on duty, often on overseas trips. On at least one occasion he was nowhere to be found when his medical help was needed because ‘‘he was passed out drunk in his hotel room,’’ according to the summary.

At a Secret Service going-away party, the summary says, Jackson got drunk and wrecked a government vehicle.

Jackson has denied allegations of bad behavior.

‘‘I never wrecked a car,’’ he said. ‘‘I have no idea where that is coming from.’’

Reports of overprescribing and alcohol-related behavior problems can jeopardize a doctor’s license. Many state medical boards allow doctors to keep their licenses and return to practice if they complete special treatment programs and submit to random urine screens.

The allegations were publicly released on the day that Jackson’s confirmation hearing was to have been held. The hearing was postponed indefinitely while the allegations against him are reviewed.

‘‘He treated the people above him very, very well. He treated the people below him very, very poorly,’’ Sen. Jon Tester, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, told the AP. ‘‘It’s not surprising the people above him think he was doing a really, really good job.’’

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Wednesday that Jackson had passed ‘‘at least four independent background checks’’ that found ‘‘no areas of concern.’’

‘‘He has received more vetting than most nominees,’’ she said.

Marc Short, the White House legislative director, could not say he was confident the allegations were false. He was ‘‘not familiar’’ with car wreck episode.

But Short also suggested Tester was airing the allegations for political gain.

‘‘It’s quite unusual for a United States senator to take allegations that have not been fully investigated, but to flaunt them to the national public to suggest he’s the ‘candyman’ I think is outrageous,’’ Short said.

Tester, speaking on MSNBC, acknowledged that not all the allegations had been verified.

‘‘Am I 100% rock solid sure that he did this? No,’’ Tester said. ‘‘But I’ve seen a pattern here that continues on and on and on.’’

Veterans groups are dismayed over the continuing uncertainty at the VA, already beset by infighting over improvements to veterans care.

‘‘The American Legion is very concerned about the current lack of permanent leadership,’’ said Denise Rohan, national commander of The American Legion, the nation’s largest veterans organization.

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

That report by the Navy’s Medical Inspector General found a lack of trust in the leadership and low morale among staff members, who described the working environment as ‘‘being caught between parents going through a bitter divorce.’’

It included no references to improper prescribing of drugs or the use of alcohol, as alleged in the summary compiled by the Senate Democratic staff members.

The White House has released handwritten reports from Trump and former President Barack Obama praising Jackson’s leadership and medical care and recommending him for promotion.

Trump’s first VA secretary, David Shulkin, was dismissed after an ethics scandal and mounting rebellion within the agency. But Jackson has faced numerous questions from lawmakers and veterans groups about whether he has the experience to manage the department of 360,000 employees serving 9 million veterans.

Associated Press writers Darlene Superville, Lisa Mascaro, Ken Thomas, Matthew Daly and Jill Colvin in Washington and AP Medical Writer Carla K. Johnson in Seattle contributed to this report.

Washington, D.C. (AP) — Ronny Jackson is fighting to salvage his imperiled nomination to be veterans affairs chief as more details emerge about accusations from his time as a top White House doctor, including repeated drunkenness and a “toxic” work environment.

President Donald Trump has suggested publicly that Jackson may want to withdraw, citing what Trump calls unfair scrutiny. Privately, Trump is urging Jackson to work for Senate confirmation. Jackson is showing few signs of backing down, so far.

Veterans groups are dismayed over the continuing uncertainty at the Department of Veterans Affairs, already beset by infighting over improvements to veterans care.

“The American Legion is very concerned about the current lack of permanent leadership,” said Denise Rohan, national commander of The American Legion, the nation’s largest veterans organization.

The group opposed Trump’s firing of Obama administration holder David Shulkin and has not taken a position on Jackson’s nomination. But Rohan urged action to approve a “strong, competent and experienced secretary.”

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.

The report by the Navy’s Medical Inspector General found a lack of trust in the leadership and low morale among staff members, who described the working environment as “being caught between parents going through a bitter divorce.”

“There is a severe and pervasive lack of trust in the leadership that has deteriorated to the point that staff walk on ‘eggshells,’” according to the assessment.

The report reviewed by the AP included no references to improper prescribing of drugs or the use of alcohol, separate allegations revealed by a Senate committee.

Jackson has declined to answer reporters’ questions about those allegations. The White House disputed that he had improperly administered medication and said the medical unit passed regular audits by the Controlled Substance Inventory Board.

The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee postponed a hearing scheduled for Wednesday on Jackson’s nomination.

Trump insisted as a White House news conference Tuesday with the French president that he would stand behind Jackson. But he questioned why Jackson would want to put himself through the confirmation fight, which he characterized as unfair.

“What does he need it for? What do you need this for? To be abused by a bunch of politicians that aren’t thinking nicely about our country?” Trump asked.

Jackson, a White House physician since 2006, met privately with Trump in the Oval Office on Tuesday and the president urged him to keep fighting to win confirmation, according to a White House official briefed on the meeting. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe internal discussions, said Jackson denied the allegations.

The White House released handwritten reports from Trump and former President Barack Obama praising Jackson’s leadership and medical care, and recommending him for promotion.

A doomed VA nomination would be a political blow to the White House, which has faced criticism for sloppy screening of Cabinet nominees and tough confirmation battles in a Senate, where Republicans hold a slim 51-49 majority.

Before Jackson was nominated last month, Trump had told aides and outside advisers that he was fond of Jackson personally and was said to be particularly impressed with Jackson’s performance at the White House press room podium in January, when Jackson offered a glowing report on the president’s physical and mental well-being.

Shulkin was dismissed after an ethics scandal and mounting rebellion within the agency. But Jackson has faced numerous questions from lawmakers and veterans groups about whether he has the experience to manage the department of 360,000 employees serving 9 million veterans.

Allegations began surfacing late last week involving Jackson’s workplace practices, including claims of inappropriate behavior and over-prescribing of prescription drugs, according to two aides granted anonymity to discuss the situation.

The complaints the White House heard include that he oversaw a poor work environment and that he had drunk alcohol on the job, according to an administration official who demanded anonymity to speak on a sensitive personnel matter.

Detailing the allegations to NPR, Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, the committee’s top Democrat, said more than 20 current and retired military personnel had made complaints to the committee about Jackson. They included claims that Jackson was “repeatedly drunk” while on travel with Obama and that on overseas trips he excessively handed out prescription drugs to help travelers sleep and wake up.

Tester told CNN that Jackson was known inside the White House as “the candy man” because he would hand out prescription drugs “like candy.”

Jackson is also accused of creating a “toxic work environment,” Tester said on NPR.

Asked if Jackson’s nomination was viable, the committee chairman, Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., said, “We’ll see.”

The two lawmakers sent a letter to Trump on Tuesday requesting additional information about Jackson. It demands any communication between the Pentagon and the White House for the past 12 years regarding “allegations or incidents” involving Jackson.

The 2012 assessment reviewed by the AP suggested the White House consider replacing Jackson or Dr. Jeffrey Kuhlman — or both. Kuhlman was the physician to Obama at the time, and had previously held the role occupied by Jackson: director of the White House medical unit.

According to the report, Jackson admitted he had failed to shield the White House medical unit from the leadership drama. He is quoted saying he was willing to do what was necessary to straighten out the command, even if it “meant finding a new position in Navy Medicine.”

The report stated that the “vast majority” of those interviewed said Kuhlman had “irrevocably damaged his ability to effectively lead.” It added that “many also believe that CAPT Jackson has exhibited poor leadership,” but attributed those failures to the relationship with Kuhlman.

Jackson was named physician to the president in 2013, after Kuhlman left the unit.

___

Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Catherine Lucey, Lolita Baldor, Alan Fram and Matthew Daly contributed to this report.