Dalya Attar, the Maryland State Senator, has been indicted by federal prosecutors on eight counts, including extortion, conspiracy and wire-tapping in a scheme linked to her 2022 re-election campaign.
The unsealed indictment alleges that Attar, along with her brother Joseph Attar and Baltimore police officer Kalman Finkelstein, used secretly obtained intimate footage to silence a former political consultant.
Who is Dalya Attar?
Dalya Attar is a Democrat representing Baltimore City’s 41st District. She had a rapid political rise where she served in the Maryland House of Delegates from 2019 to early 2025, then was appointed to the Maryland Senate in January 2025, becoming the first Orthodox Jewish woman to hold a Senate seat in the state.
Attar was born in a Sephardi Jewish family. She earned a Bachelor’s and a Juris Doctor before working as an assistant state’s attorney in Baltimore. Her legislative platform had focused on criminal justice reform, education and serving underserved communities.
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Why was she indicted?
Prosecutors say Attar, her brother and Finkelstein conspired to install hidden cameras (in smoke-detectors) and tracking devices in an apartment used by a former political consultant and a married partner. According to court documents, the alleged scheme began around January 2020 and ran through July 2022.
{{/usCountry}}Prosecutors say Attar, her brother and Finkelstein conspired to install hidden cameras (in smoke-detectors) and tracking devices in an apartment used by a former political consultant and a married partner. According to court documents, the alleged scheme began around January 2020 and ran through July 2022.
{{/usCountry}}The recordings were then used to threaten exposure unless the consultant stopped speaking critically about Attar and her campaign.
One of the allegedly threatening messages from Joseph Attar read, “I'll share this video with everybody you know, everyone she knows, every Rabbi in town, your kids, your wife, her daughters.”
The indictment states the target was primarily a member of the Orthodox Jewish community who might have spoken unfavourably about Attar’s voting record. Pertaining to that information, the blackmail matter was linked to community and religious identity
The indictment is particularly significant given Attar’s historic role in Maryland politics and the seriousness of allegations involving extortion, blackmail and misuse of surveillance.
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Attar's Response
In a statement, Attar denied any knowledge of wrongdoing, saying the case stems from “the allegations of my former disgruntled employee” and that she remains committed to serving her constituency transparently.
The Maryland Senate President’s office responded, saying it had just been made aware of the arrest, pledging to “uphold the highest ethical standards” while learning more about the facts.
Legal proceedings have yet to declare trial dates, but the unsealed indictment marks the beginning of a major federal case. Attar faces up to 20 years in prison for each count if convicted.
Meanwhile, her Senate seat and future political ambitions now hang in the balance as constituents and the Democratic Party await further developments.