Maryland State Delegate Dalya Attar Indicted on Extortion and Conspiracy Charges: Latest Updates
State Delegate Dalya Attar, a Baltimore City Democrat, has recently made headlines for calling on lawmakers to prevent Zainab Chaudry and the Council on American-Islamic Relations from serving on the Maryland Commission on Hate Crimes Response and Prevention. However, Attar herself is now facing legal troubles as she, along with her brother Joseph Attar and Baltimore City police officer Kalman Finkelstein, has been indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice on charges of extortion and conspiracy.
The indictment alleges that the trio conspired to spy on and blackmail a political consultant, referred to as Victim 1, who had previously worked on Attar's 2018 campaign for the House of Delegates. They set up recording devices in Victim 1's home to gather evidence of an affair she was having with a man who was not her husband. The group threatened to leak this evidence to prevent the consultant from speaking out against Attar.
The charges against Attar, her brother, and Finkelstein include conspiracy, extortion, interception, and disclosure of electronic communications, as well as travel act violations. The indictment was unsealed on Thursday, revealing the extent of the alleged misconduct.
Senate President Bill Ferguson of Baltimore City has stated that he was only made aware of Attar's arrest on Thursday and has no further information to provide at this time. The Senate of Maryland upholds high ethical standards for its members, and Ferguson emphasized that they will continue to do so as more details about the indictment come to light.
As this story develops, updates will be provided to keep the public informed about the legal proceedings involving State Delegate Dalya Attar and her co-defendants.