In a stunning fall from grace, retired U.S. Navy Admiral Robert Burke has been found guilty of bribery and corruption in a case that strikes at the heart of trust in America’s military leadership. Burke, once the Vice Chief of Naval Operations and commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, abused his rank and influence to benefit a private company—in exchange for a golden parachute job offer.
The Department of Justice, alongside the FBI, NCIS, and other federal agencies, announced the conviction of the 62-year-old admiral, who leveraged his senior position to push through a contract for Company A—identified by the Washington Post as tech firm Next Jump—under the guise of workforce training.
The conspiracy began as early as July 2021, when Burke met with company executives to “reestablish” ties with the Navy. Behind closed doors, the deal was struck: Burke would steer Navy contracts their way, and in return, the company would hire him after retirement. The estimated value of the contracts discussed? In the hundreds of millions.
True to the agreement, Burke greenlit a $355,000 contract for training in Europe and tried to strong-arm other Navy officials into awarding further business to the company. His efforts failed to secure a second deal—but not before he landed a high-paying job at Next Jump in October 2022, earning $500,000 a year and receiving 100,000 stock options.
To hide his tracks, Burke lied on his ethics disclosures and misrepresented the timeline of his employment discussions—classic signs of corruption, now exposed in full.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, who oversaw the case, didn’t hold back:
“When you abuse your position and betray the public trust to line your own pockets, it undermines confidence in the government you represent.”
The case echoes a warning issued years ago by President Donald Trump. As early as 2016, and again in 2024, Trump called for a lifetime ban on defense officials going to work for companies they once awarded contracts to.
“You give out a contract, and then all of a sudden you’re working for the same company? That’s a big problem,” Trump said in an interview with podcaster Theo Von.
Now, with Burke’s conviction, that problem has a name, a salary, and a sentence.
The prosecution—led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca G. Ross and Justice Department trial attorneys Trevor Wilmot and Kathryn Fifield—marks a major win in the fight against military-industrial corruption.
But the deeper question remains: how many more Admirals-for-hire are waiting in the wings?
