Report: US Rep. Ronny Jackson was demoted in 2022 after military investigation

U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson, a retired Navy officer now serving as the congressman for the Texas Panhandle and portions of the Rolling Plains, Texoma and North Texas, was reportedly demoted to captain in 2022 following findings of alleged improper behavior on duty.

Jackson, R-Amarillo, served 24 years in the military and retired with the rank of rear admiral in 2019 after serving as the White House doctor from 2013 to 2018. According to the Washington Post, which cited an anonymous defense official, Jackson was demoted in response to a 2021 Pentagon inspector general report that concluded that he engaged in improper behavior toward subordinates during his time as the White House physician. The demotion is retroactive to the date of his retirement, documents show.

The report states Jackson made sexual and disparaging remarks about subordinates, was intoxicated while drinking with subordinates, and drank alcohol and took Ambien — a prescription sleep aid — while on call or on duty. Also cited in the inspector general report were claims that he created a negative work environment while part of the White House Medical Unit by disparaging, bullying, belittling and humiliating subordinates. More than 60 witnesses were interviewed during the investigation.

The report recommended that the Secretary of the Navy take appropriate action against Jackson due to his actions on duty. According to military guidelines, the Department of the Navy can reduce a retired officer’s rank if adverse behavior is found. Jackson was promoted from captain in 2016, so the demotion returns him to his previous rank of satisfactory service. Former President Donald Trump nominated him twice to be promoted to a two-star admiral during his tenure in the White House, but those promotions were not approved.

Jackson dismissed the inspector general's report as politically motivated in his July 2022 memoir "Holding the Line," according to the Washington Post report. Jackson is still consistently referred to at public events by his former rank.

Jackson's official website notes he retired from the Navy as a rear admiral in 2019, but does not mention the reported demotion. His office did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the demotion.

A second inspector general report released in January weighed in on previous reports that the White House's medical teams did not have proper controls for prescription drugs such as Ambien and Provigil. The report alleges that sedatives and stimulants were dispensed without maintaining proper records. Multiple witnesses stated that medications were not written down or recorded in any way.

The report concluded that the White House Medical Unit has severe and systematic problems, especially with passing out sedatives and stimulants without proper prescriptions during the Trump and Obama administrations.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Report says Ronny Jackson was demoted from rear admiral to captain