Posted on 10/05/2009 2:57:14 PM PDT by Zakeet
Gerald Shargel, the lawyer for alleged David Letterman extortionist Robert Halderman, says Letterman is a "master at manipulation"-- and hinted there's more to the sordid story, which Letterman bared on national TV last week.
"So to think that David Letterman gave the entire story, and there's nothing more to be said, it's simply wrong," Shargel told Ann Curry on this morning's "Today" show.
Shargel, who made the rounds on the morning news shows, was on to defend Halderman, a "48 Hours" producer who's accused of attempting to shake Letterman down for $2 million -- or else go public with Letterman's sexual dalliances with female "Late Show" staffers.
He pleaded not guilty Friday in Manhattan to attempted first-degree grand larceny.
Letterman revealed the bombshell plot on last Thursday's "Late Show," admitting that, "I have had sex with women who work for me on this show." Letterman also referred to himself as "creepy" when detailing Halderman's alleged extortion plot, which started when Letterman said he found a package on the back seat of his car.
"You know what? David give his side of the story," Shargel said, alluding to Halderman's version. "David Letterman said what he wanted the public to know, he wanted to get out ahead of the story, and that's exactly what he did.
"He's a master at manipulating audiences, that's what he does for a living," Shargel said.
Shargel said the charge against his client is “so obviously out of character to the point of not making any sense.”
"Here's a guy who is an Emmy Award-winning journalist, who has dealt with cops and wiretaps and undercover investigations virtually his entire life," Shargel said on CBS's "The Early Show."
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Looks like the fun has just begun.
He seems to be implying that Dave lied to a grand jury.
Yeah, that does seem odd. Are you thinking this could be a setup for ratings?
What matters to me is the one thing literally no one is talking about: the blackmailer is a CBS newsie. Award-winning, according to some articles. Everyone is enjoying giggling at the naughtiness of it all, while here we might have a clue as to how some news items might make it into print or on the air, and how some doesn’t. If enough money gets paid, perhaps it never sees the light of day?
“Not commenting on the probable guilt or innocence of this guy, but he may very well be the first alleged extortionist in the history of extortion that accepted a check from his mark. Doesn’t that seem odd to anyone else? “
He may have been getting advice from ACORN staffers?
Maybe...just maybe....he's an idiot? Half the country voted for Obama....what does that say for the intelligence of many people?
We do know for sure he holds obsessively, a grudge. Jay Leno can attest to that and no doubt probably plenty of ugly stories out there re Dave. Even without this 'disclosure'; it is easy to see that he is a sick, controlling, loathsome, troll of a man.
Well, he does work for CBS himself, so that is a given. His attorney does make an interesting point that you might think that a guy who produces a show about crime might not act so stupidly if he actually had criminal intent. It's an argument - I'm not sure how much merit it has.
No. CBS isn't that desperate, yet. As unlikely as it sounds, I suppose it's possible that this was an earnest business transaction in the mind of the defendant. Like I said, "as unlikely as it sounds".
And the guy who plays Larry's agent Jeff in Curb Your Enthusiasm could play Halderman if he grew a beard.
Funny, this guy is trying to divert attention from the fact his client may be guilty of extortion by claiming Letterman is trying to divert attention.
When you don’t have the law or facts on your side, pound the table.
I don’t like Letterman but I also don’t like extortionists and smarmy attorneys. In this case I’m going to have to side with Letterman, as painful as that may be.
The silence from the NOW group is deafening. Could anyone imagine what they’d be doing if it were Limbaugh or Hannity instead of Letterman? Questions similar to those in the Paula Jones case (the one that brought out the Lewinsky brouhaha) abound.
Did the woman or women that Letterman was sleeping with get preferential treatment (salaries, bonuses, promotions) over women he was not sleeping with? Were men bypassed for advancement because Letterman is not a homosexual? This appears to be a bona fide case of sexual harrassment, which is grounds for immediate dismissal in virtually every office in America. Not here?
You have to have a plaintiff for a complaint. I don’t see any.
Given that all the documentation was collected by the gal it seems she had blackmail in mind.
It worked, Letterjerk paid for her law college tuition.
Maybe he was about to do a story on Letterman and the check was Letterman’s idea. Maybe he accepted it because it would add to the story. Maybe he accepted it as a bride offered by Letterman to get him (news guy) to do a Palin story instead.
What Letterman was doing was potentially explosive and the potential for it backfiring upon him was definitely risky behavior on his part.
How was Edwards’s mistress paid off? In cash??
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