Dr. Ronny Jackson, President Donald Trump’s embattled pick for Veterans Affairs secretary, withdrew his nomination after several allegations emerged about his conduct.

Jackson denied the allegations, which included accusations that he drank on the job and improperly gave out prescription medication. He said he was pulling out because the matter has become a distraction for the president.

“The allegations against me are completely false and fabricated,” Jackson, a rear admiral, wrote in a statement released early Thursday. “If they had any merit, I would not have been selected, promoted and entrusted to serve in such a sensitive and important role as physician to three presidents over the past 12 years.”

Despite his withdrawal to head the largest Cabinet department outside of the Pentagon, Jackson remains at the White House.