CBS says accused Letterman extortionist works on ’48 Hours’

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CBS has revealed that the person accused in a $2-million blackmail plot against talk show host David Letterman is a network employee who works on the true-crime show ’48 Hours.’

At a taping of tonight’s ‘Late Show,’ Letterman told the studio audience that an unnamed person had approached him and threatened to reveal details of the host’s sexual liaisons with female staffers unless a payment of $2 million was received. Letterman said he admitted to the sexual relationships during grand jury testimony.

In a statement late Thursday, the network said: ‘CBS was made aware of an ongoing police investigation involving David Letterman and an employee at ’48 Hours,’ who was subsequently arrested earlier today on charges of attempted grand larceny in the first degree.’ The employee had been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation, the network added.

‘Mr. Letterman addressed the issue during the show’s broadcast this evening, and we believe his comments speak for themselves,’ the network said in the statement.

--Scott Collins

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In this Jan. 17, 2008 file photo, television talk show host David Letterman walks out of The Ed Sullivan Theater in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, file)