”Everything I’m hearing is this is going to be a post-election nomination,” said another ex-official familiar with all of the leading contenders.

The apparent lack of urgency on the White House’s part has baffled some Democrats. Part of the reason for that delay may have come into focus Wednesday night, when the Washington Post disclosed new details about Ruemmler’s handling of the alleged involvement of a well-connected White House advance volunteer in a flap over prostitutes Secret Service agents and others patronized on a 2012 Obama trip to Colombia.

Republicans are already asking questions about why Ruemmler didn’t conduct a more thorough investigation of whether the advance person was telling the truth when he denied checking a prostitute into his room on the night before Obama’s arrival.