Next Jump Co-Chiefs Acquitted of Bribing Four-Star Navy Admiral

May 19, 2026, 3:09 PM UTC

Next Jump co-CEOs Charlie Kim and Meghan Messenger were acquitted following a second trial on allegations they bribed now-retired four-star Admiral Robert Burke in exchange for steering Navy business to the workforce-training company, defense counsel announced.

Jurors in the US District Court for the District of Columbia deliberated for around six hours over two days, ultimately acquitting the two executives on charges of bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery.

A previous trial of Kim and Messenger ended in a hung jury last September. There, Kim testified in his own defense while Messenger exercised her right not to. This time, ...

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