Metro

David Letterman extortion plot

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During a taping of his "Late Show" on Thursday, October 1, 2009, host David Letterman, 62, revealed that he had been the target of a $2M extortion plot and that he previously had sex with women on his staff.

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Stephanie Birkitt, the staffer who had an affair with Letterman before dating Halderman.

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At his arraignment in Manhattan Supreme Court on Friday, October 2, 2009, Halderman pled "not guilty" to the extortion charges.

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The staffer in question is 34 year-old Stephanie Birkitt, shown here on one of her many appearances on the "Late Show." Birkitt started as an intern and, as a relationship developed with Letterman, began doing regular bits on the show, including a segment in which she would talk about her social life.

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Here Birkitt assists Letterman with an on-air segment.

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Birkitt would often banter with longtime Letterman pal Rupert (L) of the Hello Deli.

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Birkitt and Letterman's on-camera banter belied a real-life sexual relationship, which ended after Letterman's longtime girlfriend, Regina Lasko, gave birth to his son, Harry, in 2003.

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After her relationship with Letterman ended, Birkitt began dating Halderman. Until recently, she lived with him in his Norwalk, Conn., home, seen here. After she moved out, Halderman found her diary, e-mails and photos depicting her salacious affair with Letterman.

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Halderman's ex-wife, Patty Montet (above) recently relocated their kids, James, 11, and Anna Lee, 18, from Connecticut to Colorado. Halderman owes her roughly $6,000 a month in spousal and child support. That was just one of the many financial charges the CBS producer was contending with when he tried to shake down Letterman. Reached at her Fort Collins, Colorado home, Montet declined to comment the day after her ex-husband was arrested.

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Halderman was later freed on $200,000 bail and retreated to his Connecticut home. Here he futily tries to hide from photographers.

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Stephanie Birkitt reportedly hasn't been spotted at her Upper West Side apartment since the day before Letterman's announcement. She couldn't be reached the day after his bombshell confession. The above photo shows her parents' home in Plymouth, N.H.

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Earlier that same day, Robert "Joe" Halderman, a producer on CBS' "48 Hours," was arrested for trying to shake down Letterman for $2 million and expose his affair with a staffer.