Robert Halderman Gossip

This morning on CBS' Early Show, Joe Halderman's attorney further outlined a strategy to show he didn't blackmail David Letterman, and it's dubious to say the least.

What prosecutors call extortion, Halderman laywer Gerald Shargel calls a business transaction. He was just offering Dave rights to a screenplay about his life! Duh!

Halderman claims he asked Letterman for $2 million for the "screenplay," which admittedly was "a premium price" for a film about a sensational celebrity story.

Of course, if he truly wanted it made, one would think he'd shop it to real producers, rather than trying to embarrass and coerce Dave himself into buying it.

Minor details, right?

David Letterman's questionable personal decisions may have indirectly gotten him into this mess, but that doesn't mean he isn't the victim of a criminal act.

If Letterman thought it was a legitimate transaction, why would he call the police, therefore requiring him to out his own cheating on wife Regina Lasko anyway?

And if the police thought it was a business deal gone awry, why would they arrest Halderman to begin with? Such moves aren't exactly made based on hearsay.

Despite Shargel's claim that this is just "the way Hollywood works," Dave's lawyer, Daniel Horowitz, countered that there's no way it wasn't a blatant extortion plot.

Do you buy it? Here's their legal point-counterpoint this morning ...

The CBS producer accused of trying to extort $2 million from Late Show host David Letterman filed a motion seeking dismissal of all charges against him.

Attorney Gerald Shargel, who represents Robert Joel "Joe" Halderman, challenged the constitutionality of the laws in question in a 34-page document.

Judge Charles Solomon said he will rule on the motion at the next hearing on January 19. Prosecutors have until December 15 to respond to the motion.

Halderman is accused of telling Letterman in September that he would disclose the funnyman's sexual dalliances with female staffers unless he paid up.

The 27-year CBS veteran, a producer for the network's 48 Hours, was charged with first-degree attempted grand larceny and suspended from his job.

He pleaded not guilty, but prosecutors say evidence is "compelling" that he was trying to "destroy" Letterman's reputation and "humiliate his family."

Shargel, however, said that Joe Halderman is the father of two children, ages 11 and 18, has an "impeccable reputation" and denies any extortion plot.

Can Joe Halderman really explain his way out of this one?

"There was no extortion," Shargel said Tuesday. "This was a commercial transaction, nothing more. [Letterman's] celebrity is why we are here today."

Many expected Halderman, who is believed to have financial problems that may have fueled the incident, would seek a prompt plea bargain in the case.

But his attorney said today there will be "no compromise."

Letterman's attorney, Daniel Horowitz, acknowledged as much, saying "this case will proceed to trial" and that Letterman "is prepared to testify."

Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau said Letterman gave Joe Halderman a $2 million check and Halderman deposited the money into a Connecticut bank account the day before he was arrested and released on $200,000 bail.

The defendant's explanation? Halderman's attempt to sell the Late Show host a screenplay about Letterman's own sexual liaisons was a just business.

Not sure how if one will hold water. But his attorney says Joe Halderman should be applauded, not punished, for exposing Letterman's various workplace affairs, which he says "amounted to actionable sexual harassment."

Letterman's former personal assistant, Stephanie Birkitt, had a long-running sexual relationship with the host, and later lived with Halderman.

A Connecticut judge agreed to unseal police search warrants related to police raids on the home of Robert Halderman, David Letterman's alleged blackmailer.

Suffice it to say, there were some interesting findings.

NYPD Detectives targeted "computers and loose media, floppy disk, hard disc, cassette tapes, magnetic tapes, removable media, tape and/or data cartridges."

Robert Halderman had some good stuff too.

The Emmy-winning CBS News producer sent the comedian's attorney a package that included a demand letter, the outline for a screenplay exposing Letterman's in-office affair, as well as "personal correspondence, telephone records and photos."

For good measure, Halderman threw in copies of a diary kept by Stephanie Birkitt, his ex-girlfriend and the Late Show employee at the center of the scandal.

THG NOTE: Way to leave your private diary behind when you moved out, Stephanie! Don't girls guard these things with their lives? Especially if there's info in there about cheating on the guy they LIVE WITH? No wonder Halderman lost his $h!t.

Robert Halderman is accused of trying to extort David Letterman.

"In the letter, Halderman states he needs to make a large chunk of money by selling... client #1 a screenplay treatment," reads the search warrant.

It continues: "The documents then describes that client #1's world is about to collapse as information about his private life is disclosed leading to a ruined reputation and severe damage to his career and family life."

The documents state that Letterman's lawyer, James Jackoway, told investigators in the case that Halderman "demanded $2 million to ensure the information in the screenplay treatment and supporting materials would not be made public."

The 48 Hours Mystery man has pleaded innocent to one count of attempted first degree grand larceny, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years.

He is currently free on $200,000 bail.

Last week, Norwalk, Conn., prosecutor Suzanne Vieux filed a motion objecting to the warrants' release, arguing that disclosing such information could put the witnesses named in the documents under intense media scrutiny.

More importantly, she said it could hurt the case against Robert "Joe" Halderman. THG NOTE: How is the guy's name both Robert and Joe? Confusing!

Nevertheless, Norwalk Superior Court Judge Bruce Hudok disagreed and authorized the release, provided the names of witnesses were redacted.

It turns out the woman at the center of David Letterman's sex and extortion scandal is not banned from the The Late Show set as some media outlets reported.

"Stephanie Birkitt is on a paid leave of absence. TMZ's reporting that she is banned from the set or the building is incorrect," a rep for Worldwide Pants said.

Worldwide Pants is Letterman's production company.

Whatever Birkitt's status, Letterman has escaped any kind of official reprimand so far, remaining on air, cracking jokes at his expense and raking in ratings.

Stephanie Birkitt, 34, worked as David Letterman's former assistant on The Late Show before moving on to bigger and better things as his personal attorney.

Her ex-boyfriend, CBS News producer Robert "Joe" Halderman, was arrested for trying to extort $2 million from Letterman by threatening expose the affair.

Stephanie Birkitt was a recurring comic muse for Letterman.

But it wasn't just money motivating Halderman, according to reports. It was a grudge the star held against him for years, and most of all, it was jealousy.

As recently as August, Halderman saw Letterman and Birkitt passionately kissing in a car in the driveway of the Norwalk, Conn., home he shared with her.

According to a People source, Letterman and Birkitt "were seen making out in the driveway in August," despite her telling Halderman they were just friends.

"He drove her home once a week. The interesting thing was he lives in North Salem, New York. Driving her home to Norwalk wasn't exactly the next town."

Halderman and Birkitt lived together for several years. He reportedly left Dave a package with a copy of her diary and emails elaborating on their hookups.

It was previously believed that their affair had ended in 2003, before the birth of Letterman's son Harry, but these ecent reports seem to suggest otherwise.

Letterman apologized to his staff and his wife, Regina Lasko, who he married in March, on the air Monday, his first day back at work since the alleged plot.

Earlier this week, it was alleged that Stephanie Birkitt carried on her affair with David Letterman even as she lived with boyfriend Robert Halderman.

Halderman was arrested last week for attempting to bilk Letterman out of $2 million in exchange for keeping quiet about his interoffice romance(s).

Well, it looks like another factor on top of Birkitt's cheating may have motivated the CBS News producer - Letterman just plain didn't like the guy.

After Letterman broke up Stephanie Birkitt, a former Late Show staff member, and she began dating Halderman, Dave was not a fan, sources say.

Insiders say that Dave made it clear he didn't want her new 51-year-old producer boyfriend at any Late Show office parties and other staff events.

He wanted Stephanie there, just not her new squeeze.

Robert Halderman is accused of blackmailing David Letterman. But why?

That grudge may have driven Robert "Joe" Halderman's alleged plot to extort $2 million from Letterman by threatening to expose his sexcapades.

Letterman and Halderman Birkitt in common, but little else.

Halderman liked to live well, golf and party. Office affairs aside (Dave was also tied to Holly Hester), Letterman is private, reserved and geeky.

Even the cultures of their workplaces were poles apart.

The Late Show boss, who in March married longtime girlfriend Regina Lasko, might have been playing around, but the female staffers all loved working there.

"I would be shocked if someone came forward with a sexual-harassment complaint," a female insider said. "I've worked in a lot of places, and [The Late Show] is one of the better places for a woman. Dave's not a groper."

Birkitt has since been banned from the set of the Late Show.

Former Late Show with David Letterman staffer Stephanie Birkitt said in her private diary that she continued having sex with Dave even after moving in with her CBS-producer boyfriend, Robert Halderman, who later allegedly tried to extort him.

According to the New York Post, Letterman and Birkitt enjoyed romantic hikes last fall at his ranch in Montana, where he married Regina Lasko in March.

All the while, Birkitt's beau Halderman, a CBS News producer, was home in Norwalk, Conn. Birkitt told him she and Dave had "a platonic relationship."

"I'm his best friend," Stephanie Birkitt told a worried Robert "Joe" Halderman.

Stephanie Birkitt's rumored cheating on Robert Halderman, her boyfriend of several years, may have driven him to blackmail David Letterman, according to reports.

Apparently, he was such a good friend that at least once a week, he drove Birkitt to the house she lived in with Halderman since he divorced his wife in 2004.

According to the diary, Birkitt, a recent graduate of Benjamin Cardozo Law School in New York, was offered a job by Letterman to be his personal attorney.

Birkitt later tried to use the generous offer to persuade Halderman to have children, saying she'd make good money and he could stay home with the kids.

Halderman reportedly went through the roof when he read Birkitt's diary in December, after she moved out (and somehow inexplicably left her private diary).

It was then he learned she was still carrying on an affair with Letterman.

These details emerged as Letterman returned to the Late Show for the first time since Thursday, when he revealed he'd had sexual affairs with female staffers and became targeted in a $2 million extortion plot by Halderman as a result.

Last night, Letterman attempted to blend humor with earnest apologies as he made many jokes at his own expense, then turned serious as he addressed the affairs, apologizing to wife Regina and his staff for the pain he's caused.

Excerpts from Stephanie Birkitt's private diary make up the centerpiece of Robert Halderman's alleged plan to extort $2 million from David Letterman.

Halderman (who is also known as Joe Halderman) threatened to expose his inter-office affairs if he did not comply, according to law enforcement officials.

The writings of Stephanie Birkitt was presumably not meant for the eyes of former lover Letterman, or a more recent one, CBS News producer Halderman.

But pages copied from her diary are critical to the police investigation.

Stephanie Birkitt, 34, was an assistant on The Late Show with David Letterman and frequently appeared on camera herself, along with the host, in comedy skits.

She was also once his lover, according to her own diary (another woman, Holly Hester, is alleged to have had an affair with Letterman while he was still at NBC).

Later, she became romantically involved with Robert Halderman. The couple lived together in his Norwalk, Conn., home until August, when they reportedly split.

Stephanie had once worked on 48 Hours Mystery, the show where Halderman was a well respected producer. CBS News has suspended him since his arrest.

Robert Halderman apparently copied pages from Birkitt's diary before they broke up, using them together with e-mails and other information in a package left in Letterman's limo that was intended to extort money from him.

Halderman's attorney, Gerald Shargel, said Monday that Letterman is a master manipulator and only telling one side of the story, while the charges against his client are "so obviously out of character to the point of not making any sense."

After he pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan court last week to a count of attempted first-degree grand larceny, Halderman is currently free on bail.

The attorney for accused blackmailer Robert "Joe" Halderman says David Letterman is spinning the extortion plot against him and there are two sides to the story.

"I look forward to cross-examining David Letterman," Halderman's lawyer, Gerald Shargel, told the Today Show Monday morning on behalf of his arrested client.

"If you only hear David Letterman's side of the story, take it at face value, and say, 'Turn off the sets, that Halderman's guilty' - I think that's just plain wrong."

Halderman is accused of blackmailing Letterman with info about his past affairs with staffers. Stephanie Birkitt and Holly Hester are the two known at this time.

Shargel said that Joe Halderman, an Emmy-winning 48 Hours Mystery producer, has an excellent reputation and that allegations he tried to cash a bogus $2 million check from Letterman to pay off debts make "absolutely no sense."

Robert "Joe" Halderman is accused of trying to extort money from David Letterman. His lawyer says there are two sides to the story. He just won't say what his is.

Halderman pleaded not guilty and has maintained his innoncence.

The lawyer largely declined, however, to take advantage of the chance to provide Halderman's take on events, dodging virtually every direct question about his client's alleged conduct and repeating his one point over and over.

Instead, the attorney simply maintained that Halderman is innocent and focused on Letterman's attempt to "get out ahead of the story" with a public mea culpa.

One that has since been pulled by CBS, which doesn't help his case.

"He's a master at manipulating audiences, that's what he does for a living," said Shargel of the Late Show host. "To think that David Letterman gave the entire story, and there's nothing more to be said, it's simply wrong."

Follow the jump for his interview on Today ...

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Robert "Joe" Halderman has pleaded not guilty to charges that he aimed to extort $2 million from David Letterman.

The CBS producer was arraigned in a Manhattan courthouse this afternoon, following his Thursday morning arrest on charges that he threatened to expose Letterman's affair with staff member Stephanie Birkitt, who was living with Halderman at the time.

Sources claim Halderman was seeking money to help with child support payments he owes ex-wife Patty Montet, from whom he divorced in 2004.

 The Internet is buzzing with searches and opinions on Robert Halderman and Stephanie Birkitt, two complete strangers to the world of celebrity gossip a few hours ago.

Lead attorney Gerald Shargel described his client as a respected father of two that coaches soccer in Connecticut.

"He was a responsible person," Shargel told reporters after the arraignment. "He has never been in trouble with the law before."

Halderman's bail was set at $200,000.

On last night's program, Letterman spent 10 minutes detailing the alleged, attempted blackmail, while owning up to his past affair with Birkitt. Fans appreciate Dave's candor on the issue; while critics disparage him for his infidelity.

Where do you stand on the issue?

It's now public knowledge that David Letterman carried on an affair with a female staffer. The talk show host himself admitted this last night.

To her horror, that employee has now been identified as Stephanie Birkitt.

Considered one of Dave's most trusted staffers, Birkitt earned a degree from Wake Forest University in 1997; worked at 48 Hours upon graduation (where she first met Letterman's alleged extortioner, Robert Halderman); and joined the The Late Show months later.

She actually appeared on air at times, most notably in sketches such as“ Know Your Current Events,” as seen below. Fast forward to the 3:15 mark to watch Birkitt (referred to as "Vicki) interact with Dave and an audience member:

Reportedly, Stephanie developed a sexual relationship with Letterman that ended in 2003, prior to the birth of his son, Harry. She was living with Halderman at the time.

In 2004, in an interview with The Fort Worth Star Telegram, Birkitt said of her boss:

“He’s just playful. We play catch sometimes in the office, and we all go to screenings together. We eat food together, we sit around and watch TV together and goof on people. And he teases me in real life, too, but I give it back a lot more in real life.”

Opinions are flying in about David Letterman's dalliances with Stephanie Birkitt. What's yours?