Part 13/15:
Federal prosecutors detailed a scheme where Burke allegedly used his influence to steer Navy training contracts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, with plans to secure a post-retirement role paying $500,000 a year plus stock options. The investigation revealed that Burke had met with executives of the private training company Next Jump in 2021, shortly before retiring, and ordered his staff to award them a lucrative contract for training Navy personnel in Europe.
Internal communications captured during the proceedings evoked a sense of complicity, with company officials discussing the quid pro quo arrangement. Burke’s actions, which violated trust and undermined military integrity, could result in a sentence of up to 30 years when sentencing is scheduled for August.