A lawyer for Robert "Joe" Halderman — who, according to prosecutors, attempted to extort $2 million from David Letterman — dodged questions in an interview with the Today Show's Ann Curry Monday morning.
"First, I want to point out the prosecution's case in so many ways makes no sense," Gerald L. Shargel said of his client, who pleaded not guilty on Friday.
When Curry pointed out "the evidence piling up against" Halderman — including a cashed $2 million check and his voice recorded on a detective's wire — Shargel insisted his client would be exonerated when the case goes to trial.
Shargel — who admitted that he'd only been on the case four days and was still investigating — said Halderman did not the opportunity to present his case to the media as Letterman did. (Despite Curry pointing out that Halderman was, in fact, claiming this on a nationally televised interview.)
Letterman is "a master at manipulating audiences, and that's exactly what he did. To think that David Letterman gave the entire story and there's nothing more to be said is simply wrong," Shargel alleged.
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While Shargel didn't offer much insight into how Letterman's side of the story is "wrong," he did speak to Halderman's "impeccable reputation" as "an experienced investigative journalist.
"Little has been said about Joe Halderman as a person, those who know him…think about how unlikely this this. People like Dan Rather, people who have worked with Joe Halderman," Shargel said. "When you just go a little beneath the surface, it doesn't make sense."