Retired Naval Admiral Convicted In Lucrative Bribery Scheme

A retired four-star Navy admiral was convicted Monday for using his position to route a deal to a defense contractor in exchange for a cushy gig at the firm.

Retired Adm. Robert Burke was convicted of conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, performing acts affecting a personal financial interest and concealing material facts from the U.S. after attempting to award a slew of contracts to a company called Next Jump in exchange for a job with an annual salary of $500,000 and a grant of 100,000 stock options upon his private sector retirement. Burke served as the commander of U.S. naval forces in Europe and Africa from 2020 to 2022, when the bribery scheme took place.

Burke is one the highest-ranking military officials to be convicted on bribery charges, according to The New York Times.

“When you abuse your position and betray the public trust to line your own pockets, it undermines the confidence in the government you represent,” interim U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said in a statement. “Our office, with our law enforcement partners, will root out corruption – be it bribes or illegal contracts – and hold accountable the perpetrators, no matter what title or rank they hold.”

From 2018 to 2019, Next Jump provided a training program to Burke’s command component, with the contract ending officially in late 2019, according to the DOJ. However, Burke continued to meet with the company in 2021 despite instructions from the Navy for the company to not contact Burke.