Letterman Confessed Sex With Staff Members, Targeted by Extortionist
By EMILY FRIEDMAN and KATE McCARTHY
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/cbs-producer-robert-halderman-allegedly-blackm
ail-david-letterman/Story?id=8730770&page=1

Oct. 2, 2009 -

A veteran CBS News producer is allegedly the man who attempted to
blackmail late-night comedian David Letterman for $2 million,
threatening to go public with the information that Letterman had sexual
relationships with members of his staff.

Robert J. Halderman, 51, a longtime Emmy-award winning producer for CBS
News' "48 Hours," was arrested Thursday in a sting operation in which
Letterman handed over a phony $2 million check.

Halderman lived until recently with Stephanie Birkitt, who had
previously been a personal assistant to Letterman.

Letterman, 62, confessed during a taping of "The Late Show" for
broadcast Thursday night that he had had sex with members of his staff.

"This morning I did something I've never done in my life," Letterman
told his audience. "I had to go downtown and testify before a grand
jury."

Letterman revealed to the studio audience that he received a package
three weeks ago containing a threat to reveal those indiscretions "if
Letterman did not pay the individual a large sum of money" -- specified
in a later communication as $2 million.

He said that the package contained a letter that said, "I know that you
do some terrible terrible things, and I can prove that you do these
terrible things ... and sure enough what was contained in the package
was proof that I do terrible, terrible things."

Howard Kurtz, a media critic for The Washington Post, said Letterman
handled the situation "reasonably well" but cautioned that late-night
comedians have a "delicate" relationship with their audience, especially
because they often point out the infidelities of others.

"Somebody's going to put together a tape with all the jokes Letterman
has done about womanizing public figures," Kurtz told Robin Roberts on
"Good Morning America." "So if he becomes a punchline himself, I don't
think he will lose his job over this, but clearly it undermines his job
as a performer."

Letterman Delivered a Phony $2 Million Check to Alleged Blackmailer

The audience laughed nervously as Letterman described how he'd called
his attorney and then set up a meeting with his blackmailer in which the
plotter told him he wanted to write a screenplay about him that included
sordid details of the talk show host's life.

At a third meeting, Letterman, with the assistance of the Manhattan
District Attorney's Office, handed the blackmailer a phony $2 million
check. It was then that the extortionist revealed he also planned to
write a book about Letterman's life, also revealing details of his past
sexual infidelities.

"A companion piece to the screenplay," Letterman cracked weakly.

Letterman then acknowledged unspecified sexual relationships with female
staff members to a silent audience.

"My response to that [allegation] is, 'Yes I have.' Would it be
embarrassing if it were made public? Perhaps it would," Letterman said.

"Especially for the women," he managed to joke.

"I feel like I need to protect these people. I need to certainly protect
my family," he said.

ABC News could not reach Halderman for comment, but CBS News released a
statement saying that he has been suspended from his job as the
investigation continues.

Earlier this year, Letterman announced on his show his marriage to
longtime girlfriend Regina Lasko, who he began dating in the 1980s. The
pair have a son, Harry Joseph Letterman, whose impending arrival
Letterman announced on his show in 2003.

He did not mention his wife specifically or any other details of these
affairs during his Thursday taping.

It's unclear from the Worldwide Pants statement when Letterman's sexual
relations with his female staffers occurred.

The comedian went on to thank the Special Prosecution Bureau of the
Manhattan District Attorney's office for its assistance, which
culminated in the Halderman's arrest early in the day Thursday.

CBS issued a statement late Thursday night regarding the investigation
and Letterman's decision to speak out on his show: "Mr. Letterman
addressed the issue during the show's broadcast last night, and we
believe his comments speak for themselves."

Colleagues were dumbstruck by the charges against Halderman. "I really
can't believe the charges against him. I don't understand the
motivation," said one producer who had worked with Halderman in the
past.

The producer described Halderman not only as a well paid producer but
one who was a "top shelf producer, highly regarded by CBS." Halderman
was routinely entrusted with top stories ranging from the 1998 Olympics
in Nagano, Japan, to assignments for "48 Hours."

Halderman has been married and divorced twice, according to public
records. He had two children with his second wife as well as three
step-children.

Birkitt told her alma mater Wake Forest University that she originally
interned in the writers' department at "Late Show" in 1996, and after
graduating in 1997 worked at "48 Hours." She later returned to "Late
Show."

In a subsequent interview with EW.com, Birkitt denied Letterman was the
cranky persona he appears to be on TV. "He's the best boss I've ever
had," she said.

This is not the first extortion plot alleged to have targeted Letterman.
In 2005, Kelly Frank, who worked as a handyman on Letterman's Rocky
Mountain ranch in Montana, was arrested for allegedly plotting to kidnap
Letterman's then-16-month-old son, Harry. Frank pleaded not guilty but
got 10 years in jail for overcharging Letterman.

At the time, the comedian took it all in stride.

"I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing my house on television
while I'm in my house watching television," Letterman said on a March
2005 show.

Letterman Pointed Out Infidelities of Others

Letterman was a longtime bachelor after his first marriage ended in
divorce in 1977.

He has had at least one relationship with a co-worker in the past.
Merrill Markoe, a comedian and author who was his longtime writer, was
his girlfriend in the 1980s.

Even so, Letterman has joked about others' infidelities. Numerous jokes
and at least two of Letterman's famous Top 10 lists highlighted South
Carolina Gov. Rick Sanford's extramarital affair. Letterman included the
"Top 10 Surprising Facts About Mark Sanford" and the "Top 10 Gov. Mark
Sanford Excuses" during the days after the governor admitted to having
an affair this June.

Letterman has been a fixture on late night network television since 1982
after a short stint with a morning show on NBC. As host of "Late Night"
on NBC and then "The Late Show" on CBS, he is second only to Johnny
Carson as the longest-running late night host.

ABC News' Eileen Murphy, Michael James and Lindsay Goldwert contributed
to this report.
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