Ex-US Navy Admiral Robert Burke convicted of bribery after trading contracts for $500,000 job

A federal jury on May 20 convicted retired four-star Admiral Robert Burke, once the U.S. Navy’s second-highest-ranking officer, on multiple corruption charges for using his senior position to steer contracts to a private company in exchange for a lucrative post-retirement job.

Burke, who served as vice chief of naval operations while simultaneously acting as the Navy’s chief of personnel, was found guilty of bribery, concealment of material facts, and performing official acts that affected his personal financial interest, according to court records, cited by US media.

The verdict marks one of the most significant criminal convictions of a high-ranking military official in recent history.

The Department of Justice revealed that in 2021, while still on active duty, Burke orchestrated a plan to secure a $355,000 Navy contract for a company known as "Company A" — later identified as Next Jump — co-led by defendants Yongchul “Charlie” Kim and Meghan Messenger. In return, Burke was promised a job at the firm upon his retirement, with an annual salary of at least $500,000 and 100,000 stock options.

Prosecutors said Burke began corresponding with Kim and Messenger through WhatsApp in April 2021, after earlier rejections from his office due to Navy policy against dealings with the firm. “Burke wants to work for us, but we’re asking for a deal first,” Kim wrote after one call, according to the indictment. He added that Messenger “felt slimy” about the arrangement.

By May 2021, Burke was actively advocating for the company within Navy circles. Prosecutors said he asked an unnamed individual to locate funding to issue the contract from U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa. Then in July, Burke met Kim, Messenger, and another unidentified person for lunch in Washington, D.C., where they discussed securing the deal for Next Jump.

“In exchange,” the indictment read, “[they] offered Burke a job at Company A — at a salary of at least $500,000 per year and a grant of 100,000 stock options … to commence after Burke retired from the Navy.”

In August 2021, Burke formally notified the Navy of his intention to retire in May 2022. Following his departure, he joined the same firm to which he had directed contracts while still in uniform — a key element in the government’s case.

He also attempted, though unsuccessfully, to persuade another senior Navy officer to issue a separate contract to the company, further demonstrating the extent of his influence and willingness to misuse his position, prosecutors argued.

During the trial, federal prosecutors accused Burke of deliberately hiding these actions from Navy leadership while simultaneously promoting the firm’s services within the defence establishment.

Burke was indicted by a grand jury in May 2024. His sentencing is scheduled for August 2025.

Meanwhile, Kim and Messenger, co-CEOs of Next Jump, are due to stand trial in August in connection with the same scheme.

The scandal comes amid heightened scrutiny over corruption in federal contracting. On May 21, the Federal Criminal Police Office reported a 17.2% increase in violent crimes with right-wing motivations last year, part of a broader 15.3% rise in politically motivated violent offences. Though unrelated, the numbers reflect growing concerns over lawlessness that extend even into elite military ranks.

By Tamilla Hasanova