Female Senator Charged With Extortion

Federal prosecutors in Maryland have filed an eight-count indictment against State Senator Dalya Attar, accusing her of extortion and wiretapping in connection with a political consultant she allegedly tried to silence.

Senator Attar, a Democrat and former prosecutor representing Baltimore’s 41st District, was charged alongside her brother, Joseph Attar, and a politically appointed police officer, Kalman Finkelstein. The trio is accused of running an extortion scheme between 2020 and 2022, allegedly using secret recordings tied to a supposed affair as leverage.

According to the indictment, unsealed Thursday in a U.S. District Court in Maryland, the group targeted a former political consultant who once worked on Attar’s 2018 campaign. The unnamed consultant, described in court documents as a dual U.S. and Israeli citizen, reportedly had professional ties across both Democratic and Republican circles before a major fallout with the senator.

Investigators claim the scheme began in 2020, when Senator Attar allegedly messaged her brother via WhatsApp, expressing her desire for the consultant to become “a nonissue in my mind.” Prosecutors say this marked the start of a coordinated effort to intimidate the consultant using private communications and recordings.

Following her court appearance, Attar and her co-defendants were released under strict conditions, including surrendering their U.S. passports and a restriction on international travel.

In a statement addressing the charges, the 41-year-old lawmaker maintained her innocence, describing the case as “based on allegations from a disgruntled former employee.”

She added, “I will continue to serve my community with humility and honor, and I look forward to being as transparent as possible.”

The charges come as Attar gears up for her re-election campaign, a race that could now face serious political turbulence as the case unfolds.
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