White House physician and Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson is weighing whether to remove his name from consideration as nominee to head the Department of Veterans Affairs amid irritation with the nomination process, according to a new report.
A White House official told the Washington Post Jackson was growing exasperated and drained from the nomination process. Jackson has faced opposition from veteran advocates and lawmakers who have raised questions about his qualifications to lead the agency.
Jackson’s hesitation began even before Democratic members of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee released a two-page document detailing allegations concerning prescription practices, a hostile work environment, and drunkenness.
The document claims Jackson crashed a government vehicle after becoming intoxicated — an allegation Jackson has rejected Wednesday evening.
The document included summaries of interviews with 23 former and current colleagues of Jackson. Proof of the allegations wasn’t provided, but Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., who has led the investigation, said each allegation was corroborated by a minimum of two people.
Jackson had been scheduled to appear before the Senate committee on Wednesday; however, the hearing was pushed back so members could look into the allegations.
