TL/DR –
Retired Navy admiral Robert Burke was arrested for alleged bribery involving a government contract. He is accused of awarding a contract to business executives Yongchul “Charlie” Kim and Meghan Messenger in exchange for future employment at their company, NextJump. Kim and Messenger were also arrested for their involvement, and if convicted, Burke could face up to 30 years in prison, while Kim and Messenger could each face up to 20 years.
Retired Admiral Arrested on Bribery Charges
Retired four-star Navy admiral, Robert Burke, was arrested on bribery charges regarding a government contract on Friday. Burke allegedly awarded a contract to two New York business executives, Yongchul “Charlie” Kim and Meghan Messenger, in return for future employment at their company, according to the Justice Department.
Kim and Messenger, co-CEOs of NextJump, a New York-based company, were also arrested for their role in the alleged scheme. The company had a workforce training pilot program contract with the Navy from August 2018 to 2019. But in July 2021, Burke allegedly agreed to direct a sole-source contract to the company in exchange for future employment.
The Justice Department alleges Burke aimed to persuade other officers to award another contract to NextJump, potentially worth hundreds of millions. Burke is also accused of covering up the alleged scheme by pretending he had no role in awarding the contract and only began discussing employment opportunities with the company after it was awarded.
DOJ: Burke Secured Contract for Future Job
Five months post his meeting with the co-CEOs, Burke purportedly ordered his staff to award a $355,000 contract to NextJump for officer training in Italy and Spain. As of October 2022, Burke has allegedly started working at NextJump with a starting salary of $500,000.
Burke, Kim, and Messenger are charged with bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery. Burke is also charged with performing acts affecting personal financial interest and hiding material facts from the U.S. Upon conviction, Burke could face up to 30 years in prison, while Kim and Messenger could each face 20 years.
No Quid Pro Quo Here
Timothy Parlatore, Burke’s attorney, stated that Burke denies the accusations and claimed the Justice Department’s information was incorrect. Parlatore also said that Burke did meet the company’s executives in July 2021 but denied the nature of the conversation as described by the Justice Department.
Parlatore claimed there was no connection between the job offer and the contract awarded on behalf of the Navy except for the fact that Burke believed in the product they were providing and eventually accepted an offer with them. He added that Burke was still updating his resume and speaking with other prospective employers after the meeting, indicating he hadn’t accepted a position through the alleged bribery scheme already.
Bribery Charges Involving Public Officials
The latest charges are part of a series of alleged bribery schemes involving public officials. This includes charges against Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, and his wife for bribery and money laundering, with accusations of taking around $600,000 from an oil and gas company tied to the Azerbaijan government and a Mexico City-based bank.
Moreover, two current and two former Massachusetts state troopers were charged in an alleged scheme to provide passing scores for commercial driver’s licenses in return for bribes. A U.S. Army soldier from Fort Campbell was also charged with selling national defense secrets to China in March.
However, according to a fiscal year 2020 report by the U.S. Sentencing Commission, bribery offenses have decreased by 48% since fiscal 2016. Nearly half the times that penalties were increased were due to the convicted person being a public official, and 75% of increased sentences involved multiple bribes.
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