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In federal court today, a former Navy Admiral and two CEOs accused of participating in a bribery scheme have pleaded not guilty to all charges.
During the hearing, Retired Adm. Robert Burke, Yongchul “Charlie” Kim, and Meghan Messenger faced accusations of bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery. Burke, a former vice chief of naval operations, is also charged with engaging in acts of personal financial interest and concealing material facts from the United States.

The allegations involve a training program provided by defense contractor “Next Jump” to a small Navy branch between August 2018 and July 2019. The Navy terminated the contract in late 2019, directing the company not to contact Admiral Burke. Despite this, Kim and Messenger allegedly met with Burke in July 2021 to reestablish business ties, planning for Burke to secure future Navy contracts for Next Jump in exchange for future employment that paid $500,000 a year, among other perks. The Justice Department claims Burke would leverage his position to influence other Navy officers to award a significant training contract to Next Jump.

The defense team has criticized the government’s handling of the indictment, arguing it’s politically motivated. Rocco F. D’Agostino, an attorney for the CEO’s said, “For 30 years, Next Jump Co-CEOs built an impeccable reputation for developing some of the most well-respected leadership programs utilized by the U.S. Government, and it appears they are now unjustly caught up in a bureaucratic, politically motivated, governmental crossfire.”
Timothy Parlatore, a lawyer for Admiral Burke, stated that his client was innocent and looked forward to presenting their case to the jury. The trial date for Burke, Kim, and Messenger will be scheduled at a hearing next month.