The New York Times
Inside CBS News, Robert Joel Halderman was a widely liked and well-regarded producer, known for chasing action and taking chances.
But none of his previous experiences covering wars, school killings and the mob gave any hint that Mr. Halderman might himself become the central figure in a crime story that seemed like fodder for his current CBS program, “48 Hours Mystery.”
In interviews, friends and colleagues of Mr. Halderman said they were stunned last week by the news of his arrest in front of CBS News headquarters on charges of trying to blackmail David Letterman for $2 million. The case compelled Mr. Letterman to admit on his television show, “Late Show With David Letterman,” that he had had sex with female staff members.
“I said to my mother that this was like her waking up to find out I’d been arrested for this,” said Marcy McGinnis, Mr. Halderman’s boss for many years in the 1990s as the London bureau chief for CBS. More…