https://x.com/Kagan_M_Dunlap/s.../1924549499357221022




BREAKING: Retired four-star Navy Admiral Robert P. Burke, aged 63, has been found guilty on federal charges including bribery, conspiracy to commit bribery, acts affecting a personal financial interest, and concealment of material facts.

The conviction stems from a scheme where Burke, while serving as a four-star admiral in 2021, awarded a $355,000 sole-source contract to a New York-based company, Next Jump, for workforce training in Italy and Spain. In exchange, he secured a post-retirement job with Next Jump starting in October 2022, with a $500,000 annual salary and 100,000 stock options.

Burke, who retired in August 2022 as commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, was the Navy’s former vice chief of naval operations (2019–2020) and chief of naval personnel (2016–2019). The bribery scheme involved Burke allegedly steering contracts to Next Jump’s co-CEOs, Yongchul “Charlie” Kim and Meghan Messenger, who were also charged.

Burke was accused of lying to the Navy about his role in the contract and the timing of employment discussions to conceal the scheme.

Burke faces up to 30 years in prison, though first-time offenders typically receive lighter penalties. This case marks him as the highest-ranking U.S. military officer convicted of a crime.

I never understand why people with those types of successful careers end up committing the most stupid crimes imaginable. I suppose smarter ones get away with more sophisticated crimes, but all of the active and retired senior officers I worked with, and worked for, were impressively capable and stable individuals professionally and personally. It pains me to see people like that with so much hard work and dedication under their belts throw it all away.

Greed knows no bounds.

Will he lose his retirement pay?

I’m fine with happens to him. What doesn’t make sense is he got a $500,000 job for awarding a $355,000 contract?

Either he’s the fall guy for a lot of other people or he pushed more than the $355,000 contract or the contractor is math challenged. I don’t believe the last option.

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Originally posted by HRK:
This case marks him as the highest-ranking U.S. military officer convicted of a crime.

Hopefully Milley takes over that honor soon.

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Originally posted by 400m:
Will he lose his retirement pay?

Has to be charged under the UCMJ and formally demoted by congress (not sure which house or if both)

I saw a lot of that the last place I worked....total conflict of interest and going to Reserve Meetings on taxpayers dime.

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Originally posted by Rey HRH:
I’m fine with happens to him. What doesn’t make sense is he got a $500,000 job for awarding a $355,000 contract?

Either he’s the fall guy for a lot of other people or he pushed more than the $355,000 contract or the contractor is math challenged. I don’t believe the last option.

He would have brought a ton of opportunities both from contacts and knowledge to Next Jump to exploit.

It's a long game, and he would be providing a greater amount of income to Next Jump than he would receive.

He would be paid for selling out the U.S.A.

The guy was receiving about $237K for the rest of his life and he threw this away…

For what?

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The conviction stems from a scheme where Burke, while serving as a four-star admiral in 2021, awarded a $355,000 sole-source contract to a New York-based company, Next Jump, for workforce training in Italy and Spain. In exchange, he secured a post-retirement job with Next Jump starting in October 2022, with a $500,000 annual salary and 100,000 stock options.

Shee-it. Those are rookie numbers.

(I think it went far deeper and this was just what could be "use-it-in-court" proven.)

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Originally posted by LS1 GTO:

quote:

Originally posted by 400m:
Will he lose his retirement pay?

Has to be charged under the UCMJ and formally demoted by congress (not sure which house or if both)

I believe the SecDef can administratively reduce his rank to the last rank he served honorably. This action is not appealable. It would reduce his retired pay.

Somebody else was in on it. He can't sign contracts. I sincerely doubt he has a contracting warrant allowing him to legally sign contracts. Someone else did that for him, either under pressure or for gain.

Who was the contracting officer who wrote the contract? Who wrote the justification and approval (J&A) for the sole-source contract and signed off on it? Who were the intermediary SESs and other admirals that signed off on it?

There has to be more to this than just the admiral.

Most of the post-retirement jobs these flag officers get require a security clearance. He won't be getting that ever again. He can always mix paint at Home Depot.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 229DAK,

quote:

Originally posted by Rey HRH:
I’m fine with happens to him. What doesn’t make sense is he got a $500,000 job for awarding a $355,000 contract?

Either he’s the fall guy for a lot of other people or he pushed more than the $355,000 contract or the contractor is math challenged. I don’t believe the last option.

With the numbers being provided, I don't think there's any doubt that these charges are to serve as an example, a signal to all the other FOGO's out there considering a retirement of ulterior motives. For a VADM, an O-9 which is an appointed rank, those are small numbers as there's plenty of others out there who have secured very nice board & foundation seats, while also maintaining memberships to some exclusive clubs all due to their steering of government contracts. I'd be fine busting him down to O-6, he keeps a nice retirement & parking space but, no stars.

Anybody know why a serving Vice Admiral who committed contract fraud WHILE ON ACTIVE DUTY was not prosecuted under the UCMJ?

So he can keep his cushy retirement.

I'd be asking Mike Johnson for a one liner addition to the appropriations bill saying "No funds may be used to compensate convicted felon Vice Admiral Robert P. Burke after the date of the acts for which he was convicted."

Too bad he can't be hung from the mast. Supermax in Colorado should be his next mailing address.

General officers are very sought after in the civilian market so Burke wouldn't have had an issue pursuing a high paying job once he retired with any number of high paying civilian jobs. Stupid way of ending a military career and at a minimum living with a felony conviction and at worst actually serving prison time.

Maybe it is a greed thing, or living beyond your means, but i don’t see myself searching out an executive level job ( or any job really) if I retired as a 4 star with the associated pay and benefits.

quote:

Originally posted by 229DAK:

Somebody else was in on it. He can't sign contracts. I sincerely doubt he has a contracting warrant allowing him to legally sign contracts. Someone else did that for him, either under pressure or for gain.

The "under pressure" actors are the ones that would likely be government witnesses.

The "for gain" actors are likely also witnesses, albeit with plea deals that will probably keep them out of the calaboose.

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Originally posted by egregore:

Shee-it. Those are rookie numbers.

(I think it went far deeper and this was just what could be "use-it-in-court" proven.)

They are indeed. These aren't even definite "jail time" losses under the Sentencing Guidelines.

Military law isn't my thing, but if there is a way to recall him to active duty for court martial purposes on a UCMJ charge that doesn't raise Double Jeopardy issues or statute of limitations problems, the good Admiral may have other problems on the horizon.

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Originally posted by captain127:
Maybe it is a greed thing, or living beyond your means, but i don’t see myself searching out an executive level job ( or any job really) if I retired as a 4 star with the associated pay and benefits.

General officers are workaholics and in many instances still young enough when they retire to pursue a second career in a job where they easily make 6 figures. So they end up with a six figure retirement and a six figure civilian job which satisfies their need to work and boosts their income for life.

Most larger private companies have yearly training about bribes, kickbacks, and favoritism.

One can be smart in certain areas, then severely lacking in other situations.