Page 3 - aruba-today-20180428

A3
U.S. NEWS Saturday 28 april 2018

White House: Records dispute

allegations against Jackson

By JILL COLVIN and ZEKE duct. ricated."
MILLER The Associated Press re- And President Donald
Associated Press viewed the documents Fri- Trump has repeatedly
WASHINGTON (AP) — The day. They were the result come to Jackson's de-
White House said Friday of an internal White House fense.
that internal records raise review of allegations raised Asked about the situation
doubt about some of the against Jackson during his at a joint press conference
most serious allegations lev- brief confirmation process. with German Chancel- In this April 16, 2018, file photo, U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Ronny
eled against White House The White House says the lor Angela Merkel, Trump Jackson, M.D., left, sits with Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., chair-
doctor Ronny Jackson in his records, covering recent called it "an absolute man of the Veteran's Affairs Committee, before their meeting on
failed bid to become the years, disprove the allega- disgrace."q Capitol Hill in Washington.
next secretary of Veterans tions. Associated Press
Affairs. But Tester's office has not
Jackson withdrew his nomi- specified the time frame
nation Thursday after al- during which the alleged
legations by current and misconduct occurred. Tes-
former colleagues raised ter spokeswoman Marnee
questions about his pre- Banks said the office would
scribing practices and not comment until it knew
leadership ability, including more about the White
accusations of drunken- House records.
ness on the job. Democrat- Separately, the Secret Ser-
ic Sen. Jon Tester's office vice said it has no evidence
collected the allegations, to support an allegation
which included a claim that its personnel inter-
that Jackson "got drunk vened to prevent Jackson
and wrecked a govern- from disturbing former Pres-
ment vehicle" at a Secret ident Barack Obama dur-
Service going-away party. ing a foreign trip in 2015.
The records, including po- In a statement dated Thurs-
lice reports, show Jackson day, the Secret Service
was in three minor vehicle said it had conducted a
incidents in government "thorough review" of inter-
vehicles during the last five nal documents related to
years, but none involved Obama's foreign trips in
the use of alcohol and he 2015 and interviewed peo-
was not found to be at ple who were present. The
fault. In one case, a side- agency said it has found
view mirror was clipped by "no information that would
a passing truck. In another indicate the allegation is
incident an enraged driv- accurate" and no record
er in Montgomery Coun- of any incident involving
ty, Maryland, allegedly Jackson.
punched out Jackson's CNN had reported allega-
window during a morning tions that Jackson drunk-
drive to Camp David. enly banged on the hotel
The White House medi- room door of a female em-
cal unit that Jackson ran ployee and that Secret Ser-
successfully passed regu- vice personnel intervened
lar controlled substance out of concern that he
audits, according to the would wake Obama.
records for the last three Jackson has denied the
years. The reviews did rec- accusations, calling them
ommend improvements to "baseless and anonymous
the medical unit's handling attacks" on his charac-
of controlled substances, ter and integrity that are
but did not find miscon- "completely false and fab-