Woody Johnson

Events during his tenure included Britain's exit from the EU and the relocation of the United States embassy in London.

[8] In 2006, a Senate subcommittee produced a 370-page report that said that some prominent figures, including Johnson, purchased capital gain losses as a way to reduce their own income tax bills.

[12] Following his acquisition of the Jets, Johnson moved the team to the newly constructed Meadowlands Stadium, sharing it as an equal partner with the New York Giants.

[15][16] In January 2023, Johnson expressed the need for a strong quarterback to complement the Jets' robust defense, describing it as the "missing piece" in the team's lineup.

[17] Subsequently, Johnson pursued four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers, stating to ESPN the importance of securing the best possible quarterback to lead the team.

[21] Since the start of the 2011 season however many in the media has criticized Johnson ownership of the Jets of being one of the worst in the league[22][23], with the Jets having the longest active playoff drought in the NFL[24][25][26][27], only one season above .500, numerous draft busts Zach Wilson, Sam Darnold although Darnold revied his career in recent years, Dee Milliner, and Calvin Pryor.

[49] In September 2013, Johnson hosted a fundraiser for the Republican National Committee (RNC) at his home in New York City.

[52] On several occasions, Trump singled out Johnson in a speech attacking Bush for accepting "special interest" money from donors.

Johnson advocated for a bilateral US-UK trade deal post-Brexit, in line with President Trump's hopes during that time.

[71] Johnson had a private dinner with Queen Elizabeth II at Winfield House on March 14, 2019, just two days after British Parliament rejected Theresa May's Brexit plan.

[72] In June 2019, he further stated that a post-Brexit deal between the US and the UK would cover "all things that are traded", including the National Health Service and agricultural sector.

[75] In March 2019, Johnson wrote an article in the Daily Telegraph saying that chlorinated chicken was a "public safety no-brainer" and that health fears over hormone-fed beef were "myths".

[76] This came after he urged the UK to open up to the US agriculture market after the British exit from the European Union and ignore the "smear campaign" of those with "their own protectionist agenda".

[78][77] Minette Batters, president of the UK National Farmers Union, agreed with Johnson's claims that chlorine-rinsed chicken was safe for consumption, but stated that factors such as animal welfare and environmental protection also had to be considered.

[76] Johnson advised the UK government to ban Huawei from being used in the nation's 5G networks after departing Prime Minister Theresa May approved the company in early 2019.

"[81] In 2020, after Britain decided to ban Huawei from its 5G mobile networks, Johnson welcomed the decision as a victory for human rights and fair trading practices.

[82] In July 2020, the State Department investigated allegations made by some current and former staff members that accused Johnson of making inappropriate comments about issues concerning race, personal appearance, and Black History Month.

While an Inspector General report on the matter was pending, Johnson maintained that he had always followed ethical guidelines and that the accusations did not reflect his long-standing principles.

[86] After the investigation, the inspector general issued a report in August 2020 that said that Johnson "sometimes made inappropriate or insensitive comments on topics generally considered Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)-sensitive, such as religion, sex, or color" that could "create an offensive working environment" and violate EEO (antidiscrimination) laws.

[2] The New York Times reported, and the former deputy chief of mission at the U.S. embassy in London Lewis Lukens later confirmed, that Trump had asked Johnson to seek British government influence in obtaining the Open for Turnberry.

[2][89] At the time Lukens warned Johnson not to raise the question with the UK government, saying that an attempt to further the president's personal financial interests in this way would be unethical and probably illegal.

[2] The report that Johnson used his position as ambassador to promote the president's personal business interests sparked an inquiry by the State Department inspector general's office.

[95] Suzanne's father emigrated from Ternopil, Ukraine after World War II, and her mother was a first-generation Ukrainian American.

Johnson was a chairman on the Council on Foreign Relations, and successfully lobbied Congress to approve a five-year, $750 million package for funding diabetes research in 2002.

[112] In April 2022, the Jets pledged a $1 million donation to Ukraine, to be distributed to various organizations, including Plast Scouting USA and United24.

Johnson's first official Ambassador portrait
Woody Johnson and his wife Suzanne Ircha Johnson with President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump