As expected by many, alleged blackmailer Robert J. “Joe” Halderman is now asserting that he was only trying to sell a screenplay to David Letterman. Really?
Halderman’s lawyer, Gerald Shargel, asked the judge in the case to throw out the attempted first-degree grand larceny charges today and claimed his client did nothing illegal by trading documents containing information about Letterman’s affairs for a $2 million check.
“There was no extortion. There was a screenplay for sale,” Shargel told reporters outside the court. “There was a commercial transaction. Nothing more.”
Forgive my ignorance here, but do most “commercial transactions” begin by leaving a package in someone's limo containing "evidence" and veiled threats to the "buyer" that his "world is about to collapse around him"? No? Didn’t think so.
Letterman’s legal team isn’t buying Halderman’s line either.
“It’s classic blackmail, no matter how Mr. Halderman’s lawyer wants to dress it up,” Letterman’s lawyer Daniel J. Horowitz told reporters.
New York County Assistant District Attorney Judy Salwen, who is deputy chief of the Special Prosecutions Bureau, said she’s confident the indictment will hold fast under judicial scrutiny.
State Supreme Court Justice Charles Solomon is expected to rule on the case in January and Letterman’s attorney said the latenight host is prepared to take the stand should it go to trial.
And in a rather bizarre piece of “Sure he’s a blackmailer, but he had his reasons…” news, TMZ reports some of the people who work with Halderman at “48 Hours,” where he was a producer, refuse to believe he’s guilty of extortion – or say if he is guilty it’s only because he “cracked over money issues surrounding his divorce” – and have begun raising money for his legal bills.
This case just gets more and more like an “All My Children” plot every day.
Stay tuned.
Tuesday, November 10
Maz Jobrani, Loni Love – “Chelsea Lately”
Jamie Foxx, Marc Anthony – “Lopez Tonight”
Amerie – “The Tavis Smiley Show”
Shakira – “Late Show with David Letterman”
Howie Mandel – “The Jay Leno Show”
John Fogerty – “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien”
Wale – “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”
Amerie – “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
Wednesday, November 11
Brad Wollack, Donell Rawlings – “Chelsea Lately”
Queen Latifah, Lisa Lampanelli – “Lopez Tonight”
Norah Jones – “Late Show with David Letterman”
Los Lonely Boys – “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
Carly Simon – “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”
Clarence Clemons – “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”
The Swell Season – “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson”
Thursday, November 12
Harry Connick Jr. – “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”
Guy Branum, Bill Santiago, Whitney Cummings – “Chelsea Lately”
Kelly Osbourne – “Lopez Tonight”
The Cribs with Johnny Marr – “Late Show with David Letterman”
Dolly Parton – “The Jay Leno Show”
Jason Mraz – “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien”
Switchfoot – “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
Penn & Teller, Goodie Mob – “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”
Trace Adkins – “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson”
Friday, November 13
Kool & the Gang – “The View”
Dashboard Confessional – “The Bonnie Hunt Show”
Josh Wolf, Sarah Colonna, Ross Mathews – “Chelsea Lately” – rerun
Mariah Carey – “Late Show with David Letterman”
Sheryl Crow – “The Jay Leno Show”
Kris Allen – “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien”
Huey Lewis & the News – “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
Kid Sister – “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”
Harry Connick Jr. – Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson”
Emmy Rossum – “Last Call with Carson Daly”
Saturday, November 14
Willie Nelson & Asleep at the Wheel – “Austin City Limits”
Black Eyed Peas – “Saturday Night Live”