extortion
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Brian Moylan · 12/23/09 02:15PMLetterman Extorter Pretty Scared Dave Might Kill Him
Hamilton Nolan · 12/16/09 09:42AMFailed David Letterman extorter Joe Halderman was more than an inept criminal with an inept legal defense team; he was a severely paranoid inept criminal. He's just saying—who knows if Letterman might have him killed, or whatever?
The New York Post has some choice quotes from Halderman's recorded conversations with Letterman's lawyer, when he was trying to get a couple million to keep quiet about Letterman's affair. He was worried Letterman might have him fired. Or have his house burned down. Or, something else:
Seriously, He Just Wanted to Sell Letterman a Screenplay
Hamilton Nolan · 11/10/09 12:21PMSearch Warrants For Letterman's Alleged Extortionist Unsealed
John Cook · 10/15/09 01:51PMSearch Warrant for Joe Halderman's Car
John Cook · 10/15/09 01:50PMSearch Warrant for Joe Halderman's House
John Cook · 10/15/09 01:50PMThe Story Behind Walter Cronkite's Destroyed FBI File
John Cook · 10/13/09 05:00PMDid David Letterman Try to Warn His Blackmailer?
John Cook · 10/12/09 09:57AMGawker Exclusive: Letterman Blackmailer Lunched With Cop Days Before Sting
John Cook · 10/07/09 02:25PMDid Letterman's Blackmailer Get the Idea From One of His CBS News Stories?
John Cook · 10/06/09 04:20PMPurported Letterman Blackmailer Slept With Colleagues Himself, Colleagues Say
Ryan Tate · 10/02/09 05:59PMLetterman's Accused Extortionist Pleads Not Guilty
John Cook · 10/02/09 02:57PMWho Is David Letterman's Alleged Extortionist?
John Cook · 10/02/09 11:38AMA Brave New Donut
Hamilton Nolan · 10/02/09 11:10AMLetterman Comes Clean
cityfile · 10/02/09 02:45AMAs you may have heard by now, David Letterman took some time out of his show last night to describe how a man tried to shake him down recently, threatening to reveal that the married Letterman had slept with several women on his staff unless he agreed to fork over $2 million. Letterman contacted the authorities and testified before a grand jury yesterday, and the man—who happens to be a producer for CBS News' 48 Hours—was later arrested. But the really awkward part came when Letterman went on the air to describe the extortion attempt to his millions of viewers, and concede that he has been involved with women on his show, a confession he played for laughs at times, leaving the audience wondering at times whether they were supposed to be laughing or not. A clip of the weirdest ten minutes of David Letterman's career is below.