We Won! Trial Update from Co-CEO's
- Laura Culver
- May 22
- 3 min read
From Next Jump Co-CEO Charlie Kim:
Monday, May 18th ended this terrible 32-month ordeal. Justice prevailed. The jury didn’t believe the gov’t at all. Even their top witness from the US Navy cried on the stand and admitted that we were treated unfairly and wronged by the US Navy.
See below update to our investors…
------ ANNOUNCEMENTS by QUINN and GDC ------
A Quinn Emanuel trial team, led by Global Co-Managing Partner Bill Burck and Partner Avi Perry, has just secured a rare acquittal for client Yongchul “Charlie” Kim in a highly publicized federal bribery case in Washington, D.C.
The case centered on allegations that Charlie Kim and Meghan Messenger, Co-CEOs of Next Jump, bribed four-star U.S. Navy Admiral Robert Burke by offering him a job at Next Jump in exchange for a Navy contract. Our defense showed there was no illegal quid pro quo, and Charlie acted in complete good faith. After a two-week trial, the jury needed less than a day to deliberate before unanimously finding Charlie and co-defendant Meghan not guilty on all counts. Their victory was all the more notable because Admiral Burke had been convicted of the same charges brought against our client.
A federal jury in Washington, D.C. unanimously acquitted Meghan Messenger, co-chief executive of Next Jump, and her co-defendant Charlie Kim of charges alleging they had bribed Robert P. Burke, the highest-ranking four-star admiral in the United States Navy, to obtain a federal contract.
The acquittal followed a hung jury last year and a separate earlier jury trial against the admiral, who was found guilty of bribery and related offenses and subsequently sentenced to six years in prison, after a jury concluded that he had used his position in the Navy to attempt to direct military contracts to Next Jump in exchange for getting a job offer of $500,000 and equity at Next Jump.
Gibson Dunn partner Reed Brodsky, who represented Meghan Messenger, said: “The full acquittal and vindication for Meghan Messenger are a testament to the power of truth and the integrity of the American justice system. We are grateful to the jury for their careful, conscientious deliberations, and to all who stood by Meghan during this difficult chapter. She looks forward to continuing to lead Next Jump and focusing on the company’s important work.”
Investor Update:
Dear Investors,
Meghan and I are writing this email to you all from the Amtrak train from DC back to NYC.
We just concluded an 11 day jury trial in DC Federal Court. The jury deliberated for less than 1 day (it seemed they’d decided in a few hours). We were acquitted on all counts. Not guilty on: conspiracy, bribery and gratuity (what the gov’t added as a lesser charge last minute in the hopes of getting us on something).
After court, 6 of the jurors were walking behind one of our supporters and they were pissed and said: “The gov’t did not have anything. We just wasted a month.”
From our Attorneys: “I think there might be one or two other acquittals by a jury in HISTORY in federal bribery trials, and my best guess, although we should now check, is that it may never have happened before with the lesser included gratuities charge.”
This has been a 32 month ordeal which finally concluded and justice has prevailed.
Regards,
Charlie & Meghan
Some early Press/Mentions:
Article in Washington Post:
Article in Military.com:
Article in Bloomberg:
Linked in post by Senior Partner Greg Kunkel: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7462872918151135232/
