Md. Politician Accused of Secretly Filming Ex-Consultant in Bed With Married Lover, Using as Blackmail to Silence Her

YOU NEED TO KNOW

• According to the newly unsealed federal indictment, Dalya Attar was indicted on Thursday, October 23, on eight counts related to extortion, conspiracy and wiretapping.

• His brother Joseph Attar and Baltimore City Police Officer Kalman Finkelstein are also charged in the alleged scheme

• According to the indictment unsealed on Thursday, October 30, recording devices in smoke detectors secretly recorded the former consultant while he was in bed with his romantic partner, who was “married to someone else.”

A Maryland state senator has been indicted for alleged racketeering that involved secretly filming a former political consultant in bed with a married lover.

Dalya Attar, a Democrat from Baltimore, was indicted on Thursday, Oct. 23, on eight counts related to extortion, conspiracy and wiretapping. Washington Post.

His brother, Joseph Attar, and Baltimore City Police Officer Kalman Finkelstein are also charged in connection with the alleged plot, according to the report.

According to the indictment unsealed on Thursday, October 30, recording devices in smoke detectors secretly recorded the former consultant while he was in bed with his romantic partner, who was “married to someone else.” According to the indictment, the woman was staying at the home of one of Finkelstein’s family members at the time. Associated Press reported.

The plan allegedly included threats that recordings of the couple in bed together would be made public if the consultant spoke out against Attar’s re-election bid for the Maryland House of Representatives in 2022. Baltimore Poster reported.

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According to the indictment, Joseph Attar allegedly wrote in a WhatsApp message to his romantic partner, “I have hours of footage of you in bed with (Victim 1).” WBAL-TV reported.

“What I want you to do to make this go away permanently is this… So all you have to do is very simple, go to (Victim 1) and tell her, ‘Listen, leave Dalya alone. Don’t bring her up to anyone anymore. Stay away from this election, the delegate election, and make sure you don’t do anything against Dalya during this election… or I will share this video with everyone you know, everyone she knows, every rabbi in the city. Among the messages alleged in the indictment are your children, your wife, her daughters.

The alleged plot also involved tracking the victim’s whereabouts. Banner.

In a statement shared with PEOPLE, Attar said he “ran for public office because of my strong belief in serving my community and that I would not knowingly do anything to jeopardize my constituents’ trust in me,” adding that the lawsuit “centers on the allegations of my disgruntled former employee.”

“We have yet to find any concrete evidence to support the claim that I was aware of any illegal activity carried out in my name,” he says.

“I look forward to sharing my side of the story and believe that truth will be the arbiter of justice. In the meantime, I will continue to serve my community with humility and honor and look forward to being as transparent as possible.”

Attar is an Orthodox Jew and became the first woman from that religion to serve in the state Senate, according to the Associated Press.

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