extortion

Yelp Inspires New Business Model for Gawker

John Cook · 02/24/10 06:20PM

A Long Beach, Calif., veterinarian has filed a federal class-action complaint against the online-review site Yelp, claiming it's a shakedown operation that will remove negative consumer reviews for cash.

Letterman Extorter Pretty Scared Dave Might Kill Him

Hamilton Nolan · 12/16/09 09:42AM

Failed David Letterman extorter Joe Halderman was more than an inept criminal with an inept legal defense team; he was a severely paranoid inept criminal. He's just saying—who knows if Letterman might have him killed, or whatever?

The New York Post has some choice quotes from Halderman's recorded conversations with Letterman's lawyer, when he was trying to get a couple million to keep quiet about Letterman's affair. He was worried Letterman might have him fired. Or have his house burned down. Or, something else:

Who Is David Letterman's Alleged Extortionist?

John Cook · 10/02/09 11:38AM

It boggles the mind that the man accused of hatching a bizarre scheme to blackmail David Letterman appears to be an experienced and talented television journalist. Here's what we know about Joe Halderman.

A Brave New Donut

Hamilton Nolan · 10/02/09 11:10AM

When you're deciding which fast food franchise to buy into, one to avoid would be Dunkin Donuts, because the muckety-mucks at Dunkin Donuts headquarters will spy on you with video cameras, 24/7.

Letterman Comes Clean

cityfile · 10/02/09 02:45AM

As you may have heard by now, David Letterman took some time out of his show last night to describe how a man tried to shake him down recently, threatening to reveal that the married Letterman had slept with several women on his staff unless he agreed to fork over $2 million. Letterman contacted the authorities and testified before a grand jury yesterday, and the man—who happens to be a producer for CBS News' 48 Hours—was later arrested. But the really awkward part came when Letterman went on the air to describe the extortion attempt to his millions of viewers, and concede that he has been involved with women on his show, a confession he played for laughs at times, leaving the audience wondering at times whether they were supposed to be laughing or not. A clip of the weirdest ten minutes of David Letterman's career is below.

David Letterman: I Had Sex with Staffers, Was Extorted

Andrew Belonsky · 10/01/09 08:52PM

Tonight's episode of David Letterman's show will get plenty of tongues wagging, for the funny man admits that he had sex with several female staffers and then someone tried to shake him down for $2 million. Television gold!

Left-Wing Blogs Try on Extortion as a Business Model

John Cook · 04/09/09 12:28PM

The leading lights of the liberal blogosphere are up in arms because the lefty organizations whose agendas they promote—Americans United for Change, the Democratic campaign committees, etc.—aren't coughing up ad dollars. So they're threatening them!