Letterman blackmail suspect 'deep in debt'

A respected TV producer accused of trying to blackmail chat show host David Letterman for $2m (€1.4m) was desperate and deep in debt, prosecutors said.

The alleged plot forced the late-night comic to admit on his CBS 'Late Show' to having sex with women who worked for him.

A handcuffed Robert “Joe” Halderman, a producer for the true-crime show '48 Hours Mystery', pleaded not guilty when he appeared in a Manhattan court yesterday, charged with attempted first-degree grand larceny, punishable by five to 15 years in prison. Bail was set at $200,000 (€137,000).

Halderman’s connection to Letterman was not immediately clear, but public records show that until August, he lived in Norwalk, Connecticut, with Stephanie Birkitt, 34, who works on the 'Late Show' and used to work at '48 Hours Mystery'.

Ms Birkitt, an assistant to Letterman on the 'Late Show', frequently appeared on camera with the host in comedy bits. Last month she moved to Manhattan’s upper West Side. There was no answer yesterday at a phone listed in her name.

Assistant District Attorney Judy Salwen told the judge yesterday that Halderman was in debt.

“The evidence is compelling,” she said. “It shows the defendant is desperate, and he is capable of doing anything.”

The prosecutor said Halderman gave the talk show host a package of materials that “contained clear, explicit and actual threats that indicate this defendant ... (wanted to) destroy the reputation of Mr Letterman and to submit him and his family to humiliation and ridicule”.

Halderman stared at the floor during most of the court hearing and said only: “Not guilty.”

His lawyer, Gerald Shargel, said Halderman worked at CBS for 27 years and had no prior criminal record. He described him as an involved father who coached soccer, baseball and football and had two children, aged 11 and 18.

“This story is far more complicated than what you heard this afternoon,” Mr Shargel said outside court.

Halderman earned about $214,000 (€147,000) in 2007. He was ordered that year to pay his ex-wife $6,800 (€4,700) a month in child and spousal support until May 2011, when the payments would be reduced to $5,966 (€4,000) until May 2014, according to papers filed in Stamford Superior Court.

Halderman allegedly left an envelope in Letterman’s car on September 9. According to authorities, he wrote that he needed “to make a large chunk of money” and said that Letterman’s world would “collapse around him” if damaging information about him were made public.

Letterman acknowledged that the letter contained proof that the late-night host had sexual relationships with members of his staff.

Three meetings between Letterman’s lawyer and Halderman subsequently took place in Manhattan’s Essex House hotel, the last two with the lawyer recording the conversations and prosecutors listening in, district attorney Robert Morgenthau said.

At the last meeting, on Wednesday, the lawyer gave Halderman a fake cheque for $2m (€1.4m), Mr Morgenthau said.

Halderman deposited the cheque in a Connecticut bank on Thursday and was arrested later that day outside CBS News’ Manhattan office, he said.

Halderman has been described by colleagues as a talented and occasionally volatile producer.

His boss, Susan Zirinsky, said the blackmail case was a personal tragedy.

Marcy McGinnis, Halderman’s boss when she was CBS’ London bureau chief, said he worked on many important stories, including the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, and the war in Bosnia. She said she was shocked by the alleged extortion.

The bizarre case has created a messy legal and professional problem for Letterman, one of CBS’ most valuable personalities.

Commentators and bloggers quickly accused Letterman of hypocrisy because he has made a career of mocking politicians mercilessly for their sexual transgressions.

It remains to be seen whether he will suffer long-term damage just as his career appears to be peaking.

It was unclear how many women were involved in relationships with Letterman. All of the affairs took place before his marriage, said Tom Keaney, spokesman for Letterman’s production company, Worldwide Pants.

A CBS statement said: “We think it was appropriate for Dave to disclose the matter publicly as he has, and we are continuing to co-operate with authorities.”

CBS would not address questions about whether Letterman faced any disciplinary action for relationships with subordinates.

David Lande, a New York City-based civil lawyer whose cases have included sexual harassment, said Letterman was presumably in a position of power with a voice in hiring, firing and promotions.

“So, to the extent that he had control over these factors with the women he was involved with, he could be subject to liability,” he said.

Shanti Atkins, president of ELT, a firm that consults on ethics and sex in the workplace issues, said Letterman, his company and CBS could also be vulnerable to claims of sexual favouritism if employees believed people were promoted because they were sleeping with the boss.

Jay Leno, Letterman's long-time late-night rival, did not waste a moment commenting on the situation.

He kicked off his monologue on NBC’s 'The Jay Leno Show', with: “If you came here tonight for sex with a talk show host, you’ve got the wrong studio.”