Retired four-star Navy Adm. Robert Burke was arrested Friday on charges that he took bribes in exchange for steering government contracts to a company that promised him a cushy job, according to the Justice Department.
Burke, who served as the vice chief of naval operations during part of the Trump administration, was the Navy’s second-highest ranking officer in the months before he took part in the alleged bribery scheme.
“As alleged in the indictment, Admiral Burke used his public office and his four-star status for his private gain,” US Attorney Matthew Graves said in a statement.
“The law does not make exceptions for admirals or CEOs,” he added. “Those who pay and receive bribes must be held accountable.”
Burke, 62, is accused of accepting a $500,000 yearly salary and a grant of 100,000 stock options from his co-conspirators, Yongchul “Charlie” Kim and Meghan Messenger, in exchange for using his position as a Navy admiral to steer a government contract to an entity named in the indictment as “Company A.”
Kim and Messenger – the co-CEOs of “Company A” – allegedly reached out to Burke on multiple occasions between 2019 and 2022 about the status of a government contact despite being warned by the Navy not to contact the four-star admiral, according to the Justice Department.
Company A had provided workforce training to a small component of the Navy between August 2018 and July 2019 before the company’s contract with the Navy was terminated in late 2019.
“Despite the Navy’s instructions, Kim and Messenger then allegedly met with Burke in Washington, D.C., in July 2021, in an effort to reestablish Company A’s business relationship with the Navy,” according to the DOJ.
It was during that meeting that the trio agreed to engage the bribery scheme, which would have Burke use his sway with Navy officers to award a more lucrative contract to Company A before his retirement and taking the pre-arranged job with the company headed by Kim and Messenger.
Kim allegedly estimated the value of the future contract to be worth “triple digit millions.”
Burke is accused of ordering his staff to award a $355,000 contract to Company A – to train personnel under his command in Italy and Spain – and further promoting Company A to a senior Navy admiral before his retirement.
The company did not end up landing another contract with the Navy.
“To conceal the scheme, Burke allegedly made several false and misleading statements to the Navy, including by creating the false appearance that Burke played no role in issuing the contract and falsely implying that Company A’s employment discussions with Burke only began months after the contract was awarded,” the DOJ said.
Burke, Kim, and Messenger have each been charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and bribery.
Burke is also charged with performing acts affecting a personal financial interest and concealing material facts from the United States.
If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.
“I think a jury will see through this,” Timothy Parlatore, Burke’s attorney, told the Associated Press.
Parlatore noted that the former admiral will plead not guilty and intends to clear his name at trial.
“There was no connection between this contract and his employment,” he added. “The math just doesn’t make sense that he would give them this relatively small contract for that type of a job offer.”
