Letterman Sex, Extortion, Arrest & Review

The video:

A CBS News employee is under arrest for trying to extort $2 million from David Letterman, forcing the late-night host to admit in an extraordinary monologue before millions of viewers that he had sexual relationships with female employees.

And arrest:

In a statement late Thursday, the network said: “CBS was made aware of an ongoing police investigation involving David Letterman and an employee at ‘48 Hours,’ who was subsequently arrested earlier today on charges of attempted grand larceny in the first degree.” The employee had been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation, the network added.

“Mr. Letterman addressed the issue during the show’s broadcast this evening, and we believe his comments speak for themselves.”

David Halderman:

A veteran CBS News producer is allegedly the man who attempted to blackmail late night comedian David Letterman for $2 million, threatening to go public with the information that Letterman had sexual relationships with members of his staff….

Robert J. Halderman, 51, a longtime Emmy award winning producer for CBS News’ “48 Hours,” was arrested yesterday in a sting operation in which Letterman handed over a phony $2 million check.

WABC reported that Halderman once lived with a woman who worked for Letterman.

The review:

Then Letterman proceeded to take viewers, and television, on an extraordinary journey that was part confessional, part entertainment and wholly, if jarringly, hypnotic.

The medium has come close to moments like this before — Hugh Grant’s prostitute mea culpa on “Tonight” is the familiar example of recent years — but never achieved the merger of farce and drama that Letterman finessed.

CBS’s The Early Show reports: