A former four-star admiral of the United States Navy may soon find himself facing confinement in a federal prison after being arrested on charges of bribery. On Friday, the Department of Justice unsealed an indictment against retired Admiral Robert Burke.
The indictment alleges that Burke accepted bribes in exchange for steering a Navy contract to a private company and securing a post-retirement role with the company. Along with Burke, two private executives, Yongchul “Charlie” Kim and Meghan Messenger, have also been charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and bribery.
Kim and Messenger, listed as co-CEOs of NextJump, a technology company, are accused of bribing Burke to use his influence to secure a lucrative Navy contract for their company. They allegedly promised Burke a post-retirement role at the company, estimated to be worth “triple digit millions.”
We are delighted to welcome Bob Burke as a Senior Partner at Next Jump! He joins our team of world experts in growing Next Jump’s human performance community. Bob brings a wealth of leadership experience from serving four decades in the US Navy. pic.twitter.com/9d7jpzYATm
— Next Jump (@nextjump) October 17, 2022
According to the indictment, Burke failed to disclose to Navy officials that he had received a job offer from NextJump before arranging the Navy contract for them. This information was not revealed until later, leading to charges of lying to officials and concealing material facts.
Burke’s impressive career in the Navy included roles as the commander of Allied Joint Force Command in Italy and deputy commander of the Navy’s 6th Fleet. He also held the position of vice chief of naval operations. However, his involvement in this corruption scandal could cost him up to thirty years in federal prison if convicted on all four charges.
This is not the first corruption scandal to rock the Navy. In the infamous “Fat Leonard” case, a Malaysian defense contractor bribed Navy officers with lavish gifts in return for overpriced port services. This scandal resulted in the Navy being fleeced for millions of dollars and multiple high-ranking officials being charged and convicted.
If convicted, Burke’s co-defendants could also face up to twenty years in prison for their involvement in the bribery scheme. The severity of these charges highlights the gravity of corruption within the military and the importance of holding those in positions of power accountable for their actions.
Retired four-star Navy Admiral Robert Burke was arrested Friday on bribery charges. pic.twitter.com/hjxW0JtIIU
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) June 1, 2024
Imagine that, someone with proximity to power takes a job to fulfill a bribe, allegedly. Does this remind anyone else of someone? A Certain Biden son maybe?