Embattled Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAC) chief executive Ken Lewis Tuesday defended the bank’s takeover of Merrill Lynch and other moves, saying history would eventually prove he was right.

“I am confident history will show our actions in operating and building Bank of America positioned us for future success,” Lewis said during the a speech at Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s annual financial services conference. “It is easy to let the short-term difficulties distract from the long-term goals.”

Lewis will leave the company in December after a year in which the company became the subject of investigations on multiple fronts over disclosures relating to the Merrill deal.

The bank has been actively searching for Lewis’ successor as CEO since his decision to step down was announced last month.

Bank of America closed at $16.03 on Tuesday, up 1.7%.