Jets owner Woody Johnson faces claims he made racist, sexist comments, promoted Trump golf course

Woody Johnson, the New York Jets football team owner who serves as the U.S. ambassador to Britain, faced claims Wednesday that he spoke to a United Kingdom official at President Donald Trump’s request about the idea of holding the British Open at Trump’s golf course in Scotland.

Johnson, who is also an heir to the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical fortune, additionally is facing allegations that he reportedly has made racist and sexist comments while serving as Trump’s ambassador to the Court of St. James.

Both issues may have been the subject of an inquiry by the U.S. State Department’s internal ethics watchdog, who last October opened an inspection of the American embassy in London.

The resulting report from the State Department’s inspector general was completed, but marked classified as of May.

A former State Department official with first-hand knowledge told NBC News that Johnson informed multiple colleagues at the embassy that Trump asked him to find out if the British government would assist in efforts to have the British Open played at the president’s Turnberry course in Scotland.

The ex-official said that Johnson did so, despite his deputy twice warning him not to because such a request would be unethical. 

The New York Times first reported details of Johnson’s alleged promotion of Trump’s golf course.

A White House official, speaking on background, said that Trump never spoke with Johnson, who was a major donor to the president’s 2016 campaign, about the idea of asking U.K. officials to help his course get the British Open event.

The Scotland Office of the British government said in a statement Wednesday that at an introductory meeting Johnson had with the then-Secretary of State for Scotland in early 2018, “A number of issues were discussed, reflecting the close cultural and economic ties between Scotland and the USA.”

But, “Johnson made no request of [the official] regarding the British Open or any other sporting event,” the statement said.

CNN reported Wednesday that Johnson also had “made racist generalizations about Black men and questioned why the Black community celebrates Black History Month.”

The CNN article also detailed alleged comments by Johnson about the appearances of women, comments that were described as “cringeworthy.”

“He’s said some pretty sexist, racist” things, a diplomat was quoted by CNN as saying.

Black men account for about 70{3c4481f38fc19dde56b7b1f4329b509c88239ba5565146922180ec5012de023f} of the players in the National Football League, which includes the Jets.

The Jets website reveals that there are about three times as many Black players as there are white players on the team’s roster.

A State Department spokesman said, “We don’t have anything for you on a potential [Inspector General Office’s] inquiry.”

“Ambassador Johnson is a valued member of the team who has led Mission UK honorably and professionally,” the spokesman said.

“We stand by Ambassador Johnson and look forward to him continuing to ensure our special relationship with the UK is strong.”