Friday, October 31, 2025 - A Democratic state senator in Maryland, USA has been charged by federal officials with extortion involving a former political consultant. The plot, according to prosecutors, centers on a secret recording related to an alleged affair.
Maryland State Senator Dalya Attar, who is a former
prosecutor, was charged alongside her brother, Joseph, and politically
appointed police officer Kalman Finkelstein. The three face eight counts
related to extortion and wiretapping that allegedly took place between 2020 and
2022.
The federal indictment, unsealed in a U.S. District Court in
Maryland on Thursday, alleges the scheme targeted a political consultant.
This consultant is not named in court documents but is
described as having worked on Attar’s 2018 campaign before a significant
falling out. According to The Washington Post, the consultant was described as
a dual U.S. and Israeli citizen who has worked on both Democratic and
Republican political campaigns.
The plot reportedly began in 2020 when Attar allegedly wrote
via WhatsApp that she wanted the consultant to be “a nonissue in my mind.”
Attar, who was released by a federal magistrate along with
her co-defendants, was ordered to surrender her U.S. passports and is
restricted from travel.
The allegations could significantly impact Attar’s plans to
seek re-election for her District 41 Senate seat in Baltimore. In a statement,
she said she plans to “continue to serve my community with humility and honor,
and look forward to being as transparent as possible.”
She further asserted that the case against her “centers on
the allegations of my former disgruntled employee.”
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