David Letterman's Blackmailer Deep in Debt; Pleads Not Guilty

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This news just gives us the motive behind Robert J. Halderman's alleged blackmail plot against David Letterman. He was deep in debt. According to Assistant District Attorney Judy Salwen, Joe Halderman was in financial trouble.

That's a great motive, just plain needing money, and perhaps explains the $2 million in blackmail money that Joe Halderman tried to extort from David Letterman, to keep his affairs with staffers a secret. One of those affairs was with Stephanie Birkitt, Dave's one-time assistant, who later lived with Halderman.

Meanwhile, Robert J. "Joe" Halderman, a producer for the show "48 Hours Mystery," pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan court as he was arraigned on one count of attempted first-degree grand larceny. That charge is punishable by 5 to 15 years in prison. He was released after posting $200,000 bail.

It's truly ironic that Joe Halderman is a producer on "48 Hours Mystery." This type of case is precisely the type that would be shown on it.

While Stephanie Birkitt, 34, has been confirmed by multiple sources as one of the women involved in a relationship with Letterman, 62, it's unclear how many other women were similarly involved. Letterman married longtime girlfriend Regina Lasko in March of 2009. The couple began dating in 1986 and have a son, Harry, born in November 2003.

According to a spokesman for Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants, all the affairs took place before his marriage. According to the spokesman, Letterman "is not in violation" of the company's harassment policy "and no one has ever raised a complaint against him."

The situation unfolded as follows: Joe Halderman allegedly left an envelope in Letterman's car early Sept. 9th, writing that he needed "to make a large chunk of money" and said that Letterman's world would "collapse around him" if damaging evidence about his affairs were made public. The letter also contained proof that Letterman had affairs with staffers.

Letterman's lawyer and Halderman subsequently had three meetings, with prosecutors listening in on the last two and recording the conversations. At the final meeting, which was on Wednesday, Halderman was given a fake check for $2 million, which he deposited on Thursday. He was arrested later that day outside CBS News' Manhattan office.

David Letterman's ratings have been on the rise since Jay Leno left the "Tonight Show." It's unclear if this scandal will affect his ratings in the future, but at least for now, his advertisers seem to be solidly behind him. Letterman's contract with CBS runs through next August, though the network has been in negotiations to extend it through 2012.