CBS News Producer Charged in Letterman Plot Was Desperate, in Debt

Friday, October 02, 2009
This Fox News story is about Robert (Joe) Halderman, 51, a CBS news producer of "48 Hours," that allegedly tried to get money from late night talk show host David Letterman in exchange for not airing Letterman’s “dirty laundry”. He is being charged with extortion to the tune of $ 2 million where he attempted to tell Letterman if he did not give him the money he would ruin his reputation by going public with information of sexual relations he knew of that Letterman had with his women staffers. Letterman instead dropped the bombshell back in Haldeman's lap by going to the authorities and admitting to his public audience that he had indeed had sex with women on his staff.


What a silly man Mr. Haldeman must be as everyone knows you can not ruin David Letterman’s reputation. He has managed to do that all on his own. Letterman is one of the most despicable hosts of late night television and frankly I do not find him as funny and entertaining as he thinks of himself.


I agree with the comments made by Assistant District Attorney Judy Salwen that said "Halderman, was in debt… "The evidence is compelling," she said. "It shows the defendant is desperate, and he is capable of doing anything." Also showed what a dummy he was but I guess desperate people do not exactly think rationally. However he is kind of smart in one way because now he may get convicted and spend the next 15 years in prison and not have to pay his ex-wife the $6,800 monthly settlement that is contested. It is kind of sad that a man with no previous trouble with the law and a stable high paying job for 27 years would all crumble around him for such a stupid act. Another reason this is so bizarre is that Letterman finds "this whole thing has been quite scary" the article states. It just proves how uncouth he is when he is trying to tell his story to his audience they laugh because he is not even taken serious when he is trying to be serious. That is his style to be the “shock and awe” about everything so I am still quite baffled about why this Halderman thought he could find anything on Letterman that would be damaging to his career.


I know a lot of people like David Letterman but I actually found myself not feeling sorry for him but for the poor Halderman that ruined his own life over the likes of Letterman. Not that he should be extorting money from anyone else but the article just leaves you wanting more information on what would drive an otherwise stable, respected man to not realize he was going to get caught in this scheme. Surely he could have liquidated some of his assets for the $2 million he needed. Or downsized into more affordable living arrangements. And in today’s standards $2 million is not even a lot of money. Surely there has to be something more to this story than is being reported.