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Retired Navy Admiral Charged in Bribery Scandal | The Gateway expert
Federal prosecutors have announced the arrest of former Navy officer Robert P. Burke, 62, on serious bribery charges.
Burke, a retired four-star Navy admiral, was arrested Friday. According to the Justice Department, he accepted bribes in exchange for steering government contracts to a company that promised him a lucrative job after his retirement from the Navy.
The indictment alleges that Burke, who oversaw naval operations in Europe, Russia and most of Africa and commanded thousands of civilian and military personnel, conspired with CEOs Yongchul “Charlie” Kim and Meghan Messenger from 2020 to 2022. Company A’. which provided a pilot personnel training program for a small component of the Navy from August 2018 through July 2019.
The Navy terminated a contract with Company A in late 2019 and instructed Company A not to contact Burke.
Despite the Navy’s instructions, Kim and Messenger still reportedly met with Burke in Washington, D.C., in July 2021 in an attempt to repair Company A’s business relationship with the Navy.
It is alleged that during the July 2021 meeting, the charged defendants agreed that Burke would use his position as Navy Admiral to direct a one-man contract to Company A in exchange for future employment with the company.
They are said to further agree that Burke would use his official position to influence other Navy officers to award another contract to Company A to train a large portion of the Navy at a value that Kim reportedly placed on’ three-digit millions’ would estimate.
In furtherance of the conspiracy, Burke allegedly ordered his staff in December 2021 to award a $355,000 contract to Company A to train staff under Burke’s command in Italy and Spain. Company A conducted the training in January 2022. Afterward, Burke allegedly promoted Company A in a failed attempt to convince a high-ranking Navy admiral to award another contract to Company A. To conceal the scheme, Burke allegedly made several false and misleading statements to the Navy. , including by creating the false appearance that Burke had no role in issuing the contract and by falsely implying that Company A’s labor discussions with Burke did not begin until months after the contract was awarded.
In October 2022, Burke began working at Company A with an annual starting salary of $500,000 and a grant of 100,000 stock options.
U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves said in a statement,
“As alleged in the indictment, Admiral Burke used his public office and four-star status for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. “The law makes no exceptions for admirals or CEOs. Those who pay and receive bribes must be held accountable. The urgency is greatest when, as here, senior government officials and senior executives are alleged to be involved in the corruption.”
“Today’s indictment is an example of our continued commitment to rooting out fraud within the Department of Defense,” said Deputy Director Grant A. Fleming, Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General’s, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS ). “Together with our federal partners, DCIS will continue to dismantle efforts to defraud the U.S. government.”
“NCIS takes seriously any allegation of corruption within the Department of the Navy, regardless of rank or position,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the NCIS Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS and our partners remain committed to rooting out crime that damages the public’s trust in the Department of the Navy.”
“Burke allegedly steered a lucrative contract to Kim and Messenger’s company in exchange for the promise of future work and then lied to conceal the scheme,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott. “As a four-star admiral, Burke not only defrauded American taxpayers, but also did a disservice to the military personnel under his command. As this indictment demonstrates, the FBI and our partners remain committed to investigating and prosecuting corrupt officials regardless of rank or title.”
