{"id":98755,"date":"2018-05-01T21:36:39","date_gmt":"2018-05-02T01:36:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/?p=98755"},"modified":"2018-05-01T21:36:39","modified_gmt":"2018-05-02T01:36:39","slug":"vp-pence-physician-behind-ronny-jackson-attacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/?p=98755","title":{"rendered":"VP Pence Physician Behind Ronny Jackson Attacks"},"content":{"rendered":"

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VP Pence Physician Behind Ronny Jackson Attacks<\/h1>\n

‘This is like something out of the show Madame Secretary…’<\/h2>\n

Sara Carter<\/p>\n

Unsubstantiated rumors and accusations targeting White House physician Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson, who was nominated by President Donald Trump to be Secretary of the Veterans Affairs Administration, have been propelled by media outlets and Democratic members of the Senate without any proof that those allegations were true.<\/p>\n

But where did these rumors and accusations start? Who was fighting to keep Dr. Jackson from being nominated and who wanted to smear his name publicly?<\/p>\n

According to four administration officials, the main allegations were brought forth by Vice President Mike Pence\u2019s Army physician\u00a0Dr. Jennifer Pena<\/a>, who is assigned to Pence by the White House Medical Unit and does not work directly for the office of the Vice President. Those officials contend Pena has held a long-time grudge against Jackson because of his continuing promotions in the White House. She began her career at the White House during the Obama administration. According to the officials, Pena, who is still active military and assigned to the White House Military Office, did not follow proper protocol to report on the allegations. Instead, she went directly to the Senate with the support of some current and former White House medical staff who were her loyalists. None of the allegations she allegedly brought forth have been substantiated.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis is like something out of the show Madame Secretary\u2026\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Pence\u2019s spokesman, Deputy Assistant Jarrod Agen could not be reached immediately for comment. Pena, who was appointed to the White House Medical Unit during the Obama administration, did not return several calls for comment. According to Democrats with the Senate Veteran\u2019s Affairs Committee\u00a0the bombshell allegations<\/a>\u00a0were allegedly backed by 23 individuals, but the committee did not release the names of those individuals bringing the allegations.<\/p>\n

Jackson, who served in the White House under three administrations, withdrew his nomination for Veteran\u2019s Affairs and stories contending he is no longer the President\u2019s physician are only partially accurate. Jackson had abdicated his role as the President\u2019s physician when he was nominated by Trump for the Veteran\u2019s Affairs Administration but as of Monday, he continues to work in the White House Medical Unit.<\/p>\n

Those who have served with Jackson, both in the Bush administration and Trump administration, describe the attacks against Jackson\u2019s character as flat out wrong and unbelievable, current and former administration officials told this reporter. A number of former Obama administration officials have also come forward in Jackson\u2019s defense, along with the U.S. Secret Service, which shot back at the allegations brought by the top Democrat on the Veteran\u2019s Affairs Committee member Sen. Jon Tester from Montana.<\/p>\n

Tester\u2019s office did not return phone calls for comment.<\/p>\n

\u201c(Jackson) is disgusted that the accusations have carried so much weight with nothing to back them up,\u201d said a senior Trump administration official, who knows Jackson. \u201cThis is a vendetta in particular and these false allegations were given to members of Congress then leaked to the press. There is absolutely no merit to any of these stories\u2026he\u2019s disgusted with the whole thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Dept.<\/div>\n

A White House official told this reporter that there is no evidence or documentation of the allegations that Jackson drove drunk and wrecked a government vehicle, quarterly audits don\u2019t show any evidence that Jackson overprescribed medication and there is no evidence or reports of him drinking on the job.<\/p>\n

The onslaught of stories drew attention away from the administration\u2019s mission to fill the post at the Veteran\u2019s Affairs Administration and led Jackson to withdraw his name from the nomination last week.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is like something like out of the show Madame Secretary,\u201d said a former Bush Administration official, who knows Jackson and served with him in the White House. The official referenced the American political television series starring Tea Leone, which shows the seedy side of Washington D.C. and the backstabbing tactics of those trying to rise to the top.<\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Jackson was always professional and kind,\u201d said the former Bush official. \u201cI never heard of any of these allegations against him until Pena brought them to Congress. I never saw any evidence of this. It\u2019s tragic what\u2019s happened to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jackson has endured numerous security\u00a0clearances and had never had a disparaging report from the FBI, according to Administration officials. Those security clearances require investigators to interview family, friends, former employers, neighbors, current coworkers and even old friends. The months-long investigations can be grueling and investigators ask about everything from that person\u2019s personal habits to possible foreign contacts and connections.<\/p>\n

The White House on Friday said officials conducted a thorough review of presidential Jackson\u2019s vehicle records. They only found three minor incidents but there was no evidence supporting a document released by Senate Democrats this week that he \u201cwrecked\u201d a car after drinking at a Secret Service going-away party.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Secret Service has just informed me that Senator Jon Tester\u2019s statements on Admiral Jackson are not true. There were no such findings. A horrible thing that we in D.C. must live with, just like phony Russian Collusion. Tester should lose race in Montana. Very dishonest and sick!<\/p>\n

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 28, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n