The former second-in-command for the US Navy has been arrested on bribery and conspiracy charges.
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) says four-star Admiral Robert Burke, 62, played a role in a bribery scheme that involved a government contract during his time in the Navy. Mr Burke was the vice chief of naval operations from June 2019 to June 2020 before becoming commander of the Allied Joint Force Command in Naples, Italy. He retired in 2022.
The retired admiral voluntarily surrendered himself to law enforcement in his home state of Florida on Friday. He was processed by local police before being released a few hours later, defense attorney Timothy Parlatore told The Independent.
Mr Burke was charged alongside two New York-based co-CEOs: Yongchul “Charlie” Kim and Meghan Messenger. Their company, NextJump, provided a training program for a portion of the Navy in 2019, the DOJ said.
All three face charges of conspiracy to commit bribery and bribery. Mr Burke also faces charges of performing acts affecting a personal financial interest and concealing material facts from the US. He could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
Reed Brodsky, who represents NextJump, declined to comment on the record.
The DOJ says Mr Burke met with the co-CEOs in 2021. The department claims he agreed to use his influence to secure two Navy contracts with their company in exchange for future employment.
Mr Burke was employed by the company in 2022, just after retiring from the Navy, with a salary of $500,000, according to the DOJ. However, he left the company a few months later.
He will plead not guilty at his Washington, DC, arraignment, which has yet to be scheduled but will likely take place in the coming weeks.
“I can state very confidently that Admiral Burke does intend to go to trial, and that we do expect to win at trial,” Mr Parlatore told The Independent.
Mr Parlatore said the DOJ is basing their case off the timing of Mr Burke’s employment with NextJump — and that his client never had an employment agreement with them.
“Think about how many admirals and generals that have gone on to work for Raytheon or any of these other contracting companies they dealt with,” he told The Independent.
Meanwhile, US Attorney Matthew Graves says Mr Burke “used his public office and his four-star status for his private gain.”
“The law does not make exceptions for admirals or CEOs,” Mr Graves said in a statement. “Those who pay and receive bribes must be held accountable. The urgency is at its greatest when, as here, senior government officials and senior executives are allegedly involved in the corruption.”
