Retired Navy Captain Robert Burke was arrested Friday on bribery charges related to government contracts, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
Yong-cheol “Charlie” Kim and Megan Messenger, co-CEOs of an unnamed company who allegedly participated in a scheme to award Burke a government contract in exchange for a position at the company, were also arrested, a Justice Department press release said.
“The law makes no exceptions for admirals or CEOs. Those who give and receive bribes must be held accountable,” said Matthew Graves, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. “The situation becomes most urgent when senior government officials and senior executives are suspected of being involved in corruption, as is the case here.”
Burke, who served as Chief of Naval Operations, was at one time the second-highest officer in the Navy.
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Robert Burke, former Chief of Naval Operations, was once the second-highest officer in the Navy. (US Navy)
The company provided training programs for a portion of the Navy from 2018 to 2019 before the contract ended.
The company was instructed by the Navy not to contact Burke, but the three met in Washington, D.C., in July 2021, and Burke used his influence to secure a sole-source contract with the company and to urge other Navy officers to use the company. It is reported that he agreed. The value of the broader training program, Kim estimates, would be in the “triple-digit millions.”
In December 2021, Burke ordered the company to award a $355,000 contract to employees to train Navy personnel under his command in Italy and Spain and failed to convince senior Navy commanders to give them another contract. It is known that an attempt was made.
U.S. Navy Adm. Robert Burke testifies at a 2017 House Armed Services Committee hearing in Washington, DC. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Burke reportedly implied that he had no role in concluding the contract and that discussions with Kim and Messenger did not begin until after the contract was signed.
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He was later hired by the company in October 2022 after retiring from the Navy with a salary of $500,000 and stock options of $100,000.
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Burke was charged with bribery, bribery, influencing personal financial interests, and concealing material facts from the United States.
If found guilty, he could face 30 years in prison.
Mr. Kim and Messenger are charged with bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery and could be sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Burke made his first court appearance Friday in Miami, where his attorney said he plans to clear his name at trial.
Burke (left) speaks with Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar in 2021. (Arif Akdogan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
“I think the jury will see through this,” said defense attorney Timothy Parlatore. “There is no connection between this contract and his employment. The calculation that he would offer a relatively small contract for that type of employment offer makes no sense.”
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Rear Admiral Ryan Perry said in a statement that the Navy has cooperated fully with the investigation.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Navy for further comment.
“We take this matter very seriously and will continue to work with the Department of Justice,” he added.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
