Story highlights President Donald Trump said Woody Johnson was "going to St. James" way back in January

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson recently lamented the pace of the ambassador picking process

(CNN) The White House officially nominated New York Jets' owner Robert "Woody" Johnson as ambassador to the United Kingdom Friday, more than five months after President Donald Trump first named him as his pick for the role.

Johnson, who was a top fundraiser for Trump's presidential campaign and the Republican National Committee, will now have to be confirmed by the Senate.

Trump first announced his intention to tap Johnson on the eve of his inauguration, telling supporters at a luncheon that Johnson was "going to St. James," an apparent reference to the fact the US ambassador to the UK is formally known as the ambassador to the "Court of St James's".

But months passed before the official announcement came through.

While the White House has so-far declined to comment on the reasons behind the delay in Johnson's nomination process, the formal vetting and disclosure process is known to be time consuming, especially for candidates with extensive financial holdings.

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