VIDEO: "I Look Forward To Cross Examining David Letterman," Accused Extortionist's Attorney Says
Oct. 5 2009, Published 12:28 p.m. ET
Joe Halderman's lawyer Gerald Shargel told Good Morning America on Monday he looks forward to cross examining late night David Letterman in connection with the $2 million blackmail scheme his client is accused of.
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"I'm here to say, 'Not so fast,'" Shargel said. "I look forward to cross examining David Letterman because I don't think the full story is public -- there's much more to this story."
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Shargel said Halderman's background as a knowledgeable, Emmy Award-winning journalist is inconsistent with the sloppy extortionist brush he has been painted with since the story broke. Halderman, a Connecticut resident is producer for CBS’s 48 Hours; CBS has suspended from working on the show.
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“To say Halderman was trapped in an extortion plot is preposterous,” Shargel said.
While authorities said Halderman's financial woes led him to the plot against Letterman, Shargel said that Halderman's intent will be the factor that will prove his innocence when the issue is brought to the forefront in court.
Letterman, 62, admitted on his Thursday show that he had testified before a grand jury earlier that day, and that "the creepy stuff was that I have had sex with women who work for me on this show.
"My response to that is yes, I have," the Indiana funnyman said. Would it be embarrassing if it were made public? Yes, it would, especially for the women. It's been a very bizarre experience. I felt like I needed to protect these people. I need to protect my family. I need to protect myself. Hope to protect my job."
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Letterman married Regina Lasko in March of this year. The couple began dating in 1986 and have a son, Harry, born in November 2003. Sources tell RadarOnline.com that Dave’s sexual relationships happened before the marriage, but during his relationship with Lasko. His relationship with the woman connected to the extortionist has apparently been over for a long time.