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Robert “Joe” Halderman, jailed for attempting to blackmail David Letterman over a sex scandal, has been nominated for an Emmy.

The former CBS producer is up for a News and Documentary Emmy for contributing to an April 2009 segment on “48 Hours” that detailed an American exchange student’s murder charge in Italy.

In May, Halderman began a six-month prison stint after his attempts to extort money from Letterman were exposed. Halderman had knowledge of the late night host’s office affairs and sought to sell his silence.

The awards will be handed out on September 27.

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“Dave Moves Out of the House,” screams the headline of the print edition of a National Enquirer article, which goes on to claim, “David Letterman has moved out of his family home after failing to patch things up with his outraged wife Regina.”

According to the Enquirer, Letterman, who admitted to sleeping with female staffers, “is now living in his luxury loft in lower Manhattan while his wife and son stay at his mansion in New York’s swank Westchester County.”

An unnamed (and seemingly unreliable) source conveniently lays out the WHO, WHAT, WHERE and WHY of the Enquirer‘s assertion in two simple sentences: “Dave admitted he’s sleeping in the city after Regina let him have it… Regina told him to ‘get out’ and that’s exactly what he did.”

Well, Gossip Cop finds this all very odd especially since we know for a fact that Letterman, who sometimes stays in Manhattan during the week for his show’s tapings, is actually spending MORE time now in his Westchester home.

Additionally, a rep for the “Late Show” host told Gossip Cop that the moving out story is simply ”not true.”

Seems like just another Stupid Human Trick by the Enquirer.

What was his reasoning?

Get this: He claimed he wasn’t trying to extort Letterman. Rather, he was trying to sell the late-night talk show host a screenplay — about Letterman (and his dirty secrets). 

Halderman’s attorney said, “There was no extortion. There was a screenplay for sale… There was a commercial transaction. Nothing more.” Letterman’s attorney countered, “It’s classic blackmail, no matter how Mr. Halderman’s lawyer wants to dress it up.”

Gossip Cop would like to know what you think.

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The David Letterman case is set to begin today in a New York courthouse, and the TV producer, Robert “Joe” Halderman, accused of trying to extort the late-night talk show host, is expected – via his attorney – to ask that the case be dismissed.

Halderman’s lawyer plans to challenge whether the evidence against his client is sufficient, and is set to ask the judge to drop Halderman’s attempted first-degree grand larceny charge.

Relax, this is pretty much standard practice in criminal cases.

On Sept. 9, Halderman allegedly left a package in Letterman’s car that contained a letter, a synopsis for a screenplay (filled with personal information) that threatened to have the “Late Show” host’s world “collapse around him,” various personal photos, and portions of a diary belonging to Stephanie Birkitt, Halderman’s ex-girlfriend with whom Letterman had a long-term sexual relationship.

(As you may recall, Gossip Cop exclusively nabbed an impromptu interview with Letterman and Birkitt four years ago at the Emmys.)

In exchange for keeping quiet, Halderman wanted $2 million in hush money, a demand that authorities had tape recorded.

Last month, Letterman publicly (and painfully) acknowledged that he had sex with some of his female staffers.

Halderman, a producer for CBS’ “48 Hours Mystery,” pleaded not guilty, but if convicted he could face five t0 15 years in the slammer.

Gossip Cop will update you as the case unfolds.

For the most accurate celebrity reporting, check out GossipCop.com and follow us on Twitter – @GossipCop

(GettyImages.com)

Apparently one of the Top Ten ways to improve one’s ratings is to have a salacious scandal.

Although David Letterman’s image was taken down a notch by his sex scandal, his ratings have not. According to industry experts, rather than hurting “Late Show with David Letterman,” it may have even helped increase the show’s total audience.

Apparently, even bad buzz is good because the days and days of talk about Letterman’s scandal have helped his show seep into the consciousness of millions of people who weren’t watching before.

Compared to this time last year, “Late Show with David Letterman” is UP 13 percent. And after trailing the “Tonight Show” for a long time, now Letterman’s show holds the top spot with a bigger audience.

Guess this Stupid Human Trick kind of worked.

Do you think the scandal helped or hurt Letterman, and do you think his ratings will last? Gossip Cop would like to know your thoughts.

For the very latest, remember to follow us on Twitter –@GossipCop!

(CBSNews.com)

The latest twist in the David Letterman “sextortion” scandal isn’t true.

Late this afternoon TMZ reported that Stephanie Birkitt, the woman at the center of the storm, has “been banned from setting foot on the CBS set where the ‘Late Show’ is filmed.” The site goes on to say, “sources tell TMZ that security at CBS is well aware of Birkitt’s ban from the set.”

We doubt that, because there’s no such ban.

A spokesman for Letterman tells Gossip Cop exclusively that there is no truth to the story, adding “Stephanie is on a paid leave of absence.”

For the latest in accurate celebrity reporting, follow us on Twitter – @GossipCop.

(Access Hollywood)

Just about four years ago – on September 18, 2005 – when Gossip Cop was a producer at Access Hollywood, I was stuck in legendary Los Angeles traffic en route to the 57^th Annual Emmy Awards. At a certain point, fearing that I would be late, I jumped out of the car and started hoofing it as fast as I could in my tuxedo to the Shrine Auditorium for the ceremony.

About three blocks away, I saw David Letterman, dressed in shorts and smoking a cigar, briskly walking away from the auditorium. With him was a woman dressed in black. That was Stephanie Birkitt, Letterman’s former assistant, with whom he had a sexual relationship, and who later took up with “48 Hours” producer Robert “Joe” Halderman, the alleged exortionist who reportedly used her diary and e-mails as proof of her relationship with Letterman in an effort to squeeze the talk-show host out of $2 million.

As I passed Letterman, who was to honor the late Johnny Carson that evening, I heard him mutter to Birkitt, “I’m not going in, I’m not going in” before plopping himself down on a nearby bus bench.

Surprised by what I had heard and seen, I had a cameraman from Access meet me at the bus stop, where I asked Letterman if I could ask him a few questions. He couldn’t have been more gracious.

First I asked Letterman what the heck he was doing on the bench with minutes to go before the Emmys. Letterman, seated next to Birkett, replied, “We’re just waiting on the bus.” Birkitt then added, “We’re actually about to go in.”

When I then asked Letterman why he wasn’t suited up in a tux, he joked that he was going to wear his shorts that evening: “This is it, this is… pretty expensive this is like an Armani,” before being cut off by Birkett, who said, “Are you ready?”

Birkett clearly enjoyed such a closeness with Letterman that she felt comfortable cutting him off while being interviewed on camera.

That was then. Now Gossip Cop hears that their sexual relationship ended before he married longtime girlfriend Regina Lasko in March 2009.

Gossip Cop also hears that there have been no recorded issues of sexual harassment. Letterman owns the production company behind “Late Show,” Worldwide Pants, and an inside source tells us there have been ZERO complaints.

As for how the talk show host is doing amidst the controversy, the source told Gossip Cop, “Eh, not so well.”

Remember to follow us on Twitter – @GossipCop for the latest in accurate celebrity news reporting!

(Associated Press)

There’s new video out of Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau discussing details behind the bombshell David Letterman blackmail case. Gossip Cop will be covering the story as new information comes to light. We like sticking to facts, of course, so for now take a look at what prosecutors are saying.

Developing …