A Maryland state senator is facing a sweeping federal indictment after prosecutors accused her and two associates of orchestrating a covert extortion scheme involving hidden cameras, secret recordings, and political intimidation.
Senator Dalya Attar, a Democrat representing Baltimore, was charged alongside her brother, Joseph Attar, and Baltimore Police Officer Kalman Finkelstein. The indictment, unsealed Thursday, details an elaborate plot allegedly designed to silence a former campaign consultant during the senator’s 2022 election bid. Federal investigators claim the defendants planted hidden recording devices inside an apartment and captured footage of the consultant in a compromising situation with a married partner.
According to prosecutors, the footage was then used to threaten the woman into halting public criticism of Attar’s campaign. The extortion attempt allegedly included threats to distribute the recordings to community leaders and matchmakers in Israel—an effort prosecutors say was intended to damage the consultant’s personal and familial reputation, including her daughters’ marriage prospects.
The indictment charges all three defendants with conspiracy, extortion, and the illegal interception of communications. Investigators say the plan was executed using digital recording devices and messages transmitted through interstate channels, expanding the case’s jurisdiction into federal territory.
Senator Attar, who made history as the first Orthodox Jewish woman elected to Maryland’s Senate, has denied all allegations, calling them “politically motivated lies” meant to destroy her reputation. In a statement released through her attorney, she said she remains committed to serving her constituents and will “vigorously fight the charges in court.”
Law enforcement officials described the case as “deeply troubling,” citing the involvement of a police officer in a plot allegedly targeting private citizens for political leverage. If convicted, Attar and her co-defendants could face up to 20 years in prison for the extortion charges, in addition to penalties for related offenses.
The case has sent shockwaves through Maryland’s political circles, with both state and local leaders demanding transparency as the investigation unfolds. Legal experts say the allegations—if proven—could represent one of the most serious breaches of public trust in recent state history.