Man admits Letterman extortion bid
Robert J Halderman is arraigned in New York on charges of trying to blackmail US TV host David Letterman (AP)
Tuesday March 09 2010
A television producer has admitted to trying to blackmail David Letterman in a case that bared the late-night TV host's affairs with staffers.
Robert "Joe" Halderman, 52, avoided a long prison sentence by pleading guilty in exchange for six months in jail and community service.
He entered the plea in a Manhattan court to attempted grand larceny after being accused of demanding 2 million dollars (£1.33 million) to keep quiet about the late-night comic's workplace love life.
Halderman, a producer for CBS's 48 Hours Mystery, had mined information from reading his then-girlfriend's diary entries about her relationship with Letterman, her boss, authorities said.
The Manhattan district attorney's office said the debt-strapped Halderman threatened to ruin Letterman's reputation, disguising his demands as a deal for a thinly veiled screenplay about the comedian.
