President Donald Trump has appointed Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, who is currently the subject of a Pentagon investigation, as his assistant and chief medical adviser.
The appointment was announced Saturday on the White House website, less than a year after Jackson withdrew his name from consideration as the head of the Department of Veterans Affairs, amid allegations of mismanagement and misconduct during his time as White House physician.
Appointed as White House physician by President Barack Obama in 2013, Jackson has been called the "Candy Man" for reportedly handing out prescriptions for sleep aids to White House staff members and even reporters, according to previous Cox Media National Content Desk reports. He has also been accused of drunken driving and other misconduct.
A spokesman for the Defense Department Inspector General's Office, Bruce Anderson, told the Washington Post his office's investigation into Jackson, which has been open since at least June, is still ongoing. The office is considered the Pentagon's top watchdog.
Jackson has denied all allegations brought against him.
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