Two former colleagues of Jackson’s, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal discussions, told The Washington Post that they believe he over­dispensed medications, including the sleep aid Ambien and the stimulant Provigil.

Former colleagues said he was nicknamed “Candyman” because of how freely he distributed medications, a moniker that Tester told CNN that he heard about as well from Jackson’s associates.

Both said the use of such drugs is common and necessary for the multinational trips that dozens of White House aides must take with the president. But they said they thought that Jackson gave them out too frequently, especially for officials in positions of power with the ability to influence his career.

Others disagreed.