A Maryland state lawmaker has been charged with federal extortion and conspiracy for allegedly orchestrating a scheme to secretly record two critics, including one captured “in bed” with a married man. State Sen. Dalya Attar, a Democrat, faces eight counts alongside her brother, Joseph Attar, and a Baltimore police officer who aided her campaign.
Court documents reveal that Attar, the first Orthodox Jewish woman elected to the Maryland Senate, allegedly directed the installation of hidden cameras and tracking devices on individuals she sought to silence. The indictment details a multiyear plot beginning in 2020, when co-conspirators broke into an apartment belonging to a political consultant and planted recording equipment disguised as smoke detectors. A tracking device was also placed on the consultant’s vehicle.
Prosecutors claim Attar used the recordings to extort the consultant, threatening to release the material unless they “left her alone.” In 2021, her brother allegedly confronted the consultant and a married man, warning them of potential exposure. Later that year, Joseph Attar sent messages demanding the consultant cease damaging her campaign, stating, “Leave my family alone and nothing will ever come out.”
Attar, who served in Maryland’s lower chamber before being appointed to the Senate in 2018, denied knowledge of any illegal activities, asserting in a statement that the case revolves around a “disgruntled employee.” She emphasized her commitment to serving constituents but did not address specific allegations.
The 20-page indictment includes claims that Attar and her co-conspirators targeted the consultant following a 2018 dispute over campaign strategies. The political consultant, described as an Israeli-American dual citizen, has not been named in court filings.
Federal authorities have arrested Joseph Attar and Kalman Finkelstein, a Baltimore police officer linked to the case. The defendants face charges related to wiretapping, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice.
