THE feds have busted an Arizona man who allegedly tried to blackmail Louie Anderson by claiming the TV funnyman once propositioned him, authorities said yesterday.
Richard John Gordon, 31, of Mesa, Ariz., was arrested Tuesday in Los Angeles, and documents made public allege that he extorted Anderson for $75,000 between 1997 and 1998.
Matthew David Auten, of Laveen, Ariz., also was arrested for helping Gordon, officials said.
Gordon assured Anderson “that he would not tell the media that Anderson had solicited Gordon for sexual favors for a sum of money,” according to an affidavit by FBI Agent Louis Perez.
“Anderson agreed to pay the money to Gordon out of fear that if such a story were made public, it would damage Anderson’s reputation.”
Anderson is the host of TV’s “Family Feud,” and produces a children’s cartoon show.
After Anderson forked over $75,000, Gordon left him alone until March 28, when he demanded $250,000 – because Anderson’s career had soared, Perez said. That’s when Anderson went to authorities.
Gordon made his first threat in the fall of 1997, writing Anderson a letter that accused him of making a pass at him four years earlier at a casino in Hawthorne, Calif.
In an alleged blackmail letter, Gordon cited sportscaster Marv Albert and President Clinton as examples of people whose careers were hurt by sex scandals, according to the FBI.
When FBI agents lured Gordon and Auten to a Los Angeles restaurant on Tuesday, the suspects took off in Auten’s truck and drove as fast as 85 mph through residential neighborhoods before giving up, authorities said.