Ronny Jackson: White House doctor withdraws Veterans' Affairs candidacy after 'drunk driving' allegation
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Version 0 of 3. Admiral Ronny Jackson has withdrawn as Donald Trump‘s nominee for the Veterans’ Affairs secretary role. Adm Jackson called a string of allegations published by Democrats, including that he had crashed a government car while driving drunk, “completely false and fabricated”. He said that “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”. In a statement the former combat medic said he was “regretfully” walking away from the nomination. Democrats had claimed in a dossier published on the day of his confirmation hearing that Adm Jackson had been drunk on duty and gained the nickname “Candyman” for his prescribing practices. The hearing was postponed. The allegations were based on interviews with former and current colleagues of the White House physician. Mr Trump appeared to suggest Adm Jackson should withdraw earlier this week, saying the confirmation process had become “too dirty”. Adm Jackson said when withdrawing from nomination on Thursday that it had become a “distraction” for the president. More follows…
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