Robert Halderman Pleads Guilty in Letterman Plot

By PopEater Staff Posted Mar 9th 2010 12:56PM

The news producer accused of trying to blackmail David Letterman agreed Tuesday to plead guilty to attempted grand larceny in exchange for six months in jail and four and a half years probation, according to various reports. He also must complete 1,000 hours of community service.

Robert Halderman, 52, entered his plea in Manhattan Supreme Court this afternoon. Earlier in the day, TMZ confirmed with Halderman's lawyer that he would indeed cop to the charges.

Halderman, who originally pleaded not guilty, faced upwards of 15 years in prison if convicted.

The bizarre story began in October when 'The Late Show' host stunned viewers by abruptly revealing the existence of an extortion case against him and acknowledging that he'd had affairs with women on his staff.

As the saga unfolded, details began to emerge.

Halderman reportedly demanded $2 million as hush money, threatening to reveal information he'd gleaned from reading in his then-girlfriend's diary about her trysts with Letterman, her boss. Halderman's threat was couched as an outline of a thinly-veiled screenplay about the comic's life unraveling with the disclosure of his dalliances, prosecutors say.

His lawyer, Gerald Shargel, claimed Halderman was simply offering to sell his "very marketable story" to Letterman -- and to keep it confidential as part of the deal.

"This was not a sale of anything legitimate, this was classic extortion," Letterman lawyer Daniel J. Horwitz replied in a statement.

Halderman was a producer for CBS' '48 Hours.'

Comments

(27)

Tuesday 09 March

By Stephanie

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He's smart to plead because everyone knows he is guilty. This will help tp put it behind him faster. What a loser to think he was going to get away with this plot in the first place.

Wednesday 10 March

By meetingrich

Vote down Vote up Report this

Meet a Rich Match on

W W W..M illionAi reC H a t s .c0 M

The bes t c l u b f o r
seek ing the rich s i n gl es, sex y beauties. ...what's the most important is that you don't have to be a milli onaire, but you can me et one. ...

Meet a Rich Match on

W W W..M illionAi reC H a t s .c0 M

The bes t c l u b f o r
seek ing the rich s i n gl es, sex y beauties. ...what's the most important is that you don't have to be a milli onaire, but you can me et one. ...

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By Bob

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Letterman is a sexual preditor!

By Susan

How is he a sexual "predator"? The women he was sleeping with were all adult women in their late 20's and 30's...Not like he was going after 16 year olds

By Roxanne

How is he a preditor, these women were all consenting adults, you may call him a cheater, but not preditor.

By Genuik babies

So is he now a felon, being this was grand larceny

By d

and they talk of scorned women. I don't think he ever wanted the money, he just wanted to bring down Letterman for sleeping with his woman. His real issues should be addressed in prison.

By VC

It's amazing how when you do finally tell the truth, your ass still has to suffer. There must be BIG money in jailing people.
I would vote out most judges and most in elected offices and make them start being treated equal to regular citizens.

By applenan

Obviously VC thinks it should not be illegal to extort money. Letterman should not have cheated on his wife but that was immoral, not illegal. Blackmail is illegal.

By Harold

Huh?

By mojo

you must be kidding. he should get no sentence because he told the truth? this is not a 7 year old who finally said he did eat the ice cream but rather a person who tried to blackmait, extort or what ever you want to call it. this was not going to be a one time payment but would have been carried out whenever this low life needed a trip to where ever. leterman did the right thing he admitted his fault and by doing took all the air out of this guys balloon

By bill burt

I was never a fan of David Letterman after watching his deportmant, many years ago, aboard one of my flights, but I despise an extortionist in the worst way. Halderman is a first class A/H and represents one of the lower rungs of character found in our species. And speaking of his being an A/H, I suspect that after 8 months in prison, his may be a size or two bigger as a result....unless he is, of course, held in solitary confinement. There is honor, even amongst criminals.

By Hanford Searl Jr.

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... GOOD!!!

By shar

OK...I just want to know one thing. Is his wife sticking with him? Harry's Mom? He really didn't want to get married & I think it was because he knew he was unfaithful. He's always been an odd duck in many ways..but likeable.

By JOANNA

Palmer....
He did force himself on them.
"Sleep with me or I fire you"...that is blackmail
so, he is no better than halderman.

By mroneoftheguys

From a possible 15 yr sentence to a 6 month in jail plea...The Court system in New York City has gone to hell....This Judge, if he takes this silly plea should be sent to jail himself the the rest of the term..................

By teresa

letterman was not married at the time..the women were older enough to know better ,and i never read that he force the women to sleep with him ..

By b

Letterman should be taken off the air he is nothin but a huge asswhole!!

By AP

Not only should you learn how to spell, you should explain how Letterman is what you say he is. If someone had tried to extort that kind of money from you, are you saying you wouldn't have fought it?

By Judy

When Joe Schmoo promotes people only if they'll sleep with him, he is faced with sexual harassment charges. Where is the government agency who's going to hold David Letterman responsible. What Halderman did was reprehensible. So is Dave's long term sex policy at work. Throw the book at him, too!

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