Maryland Senator Dalya Attar Targeted in Secret Sex-Video Blackmail Plot as FBI Launches Investigation

Maryland State Senator Dalya Attar, 33, has been charged in a sweeping FBI investigation accusing her, her brother, and a Baltimore police officer of conspiring to blackmail a former political consultant with a secretly recorded sex video.

According to The Washington Post, the alleged plot—described by prosecutors as a calculated, two-year campaign of intimidation—has rocked Baltimore's Orthodox Jewish community and upended one of Maryland's fastest-rising political careers.

The FBI-led probe, unsealed this week, alleges that the 33-year-old Democrat from Baltimore's 41st District was part of a two-year scheme to secretly record the consultant during an intimate encounter and use the footage to silence her over political and community matters, The Post reported.

Prosecutors stated that the plan involved hidden cameras disguised as smoke detectors and a tracking device installed on the consultant's vehicle, according to the indictment cited by the Associated Press.

'We'll Send It To Every Rabbi'

Federal prosecutors allege that Attar's brother, Joseph Attar, and Baltimore police officer Kalman Finkelstein helped record and disseminate the video between 2020 and 2022.

The three allegedly exchanged messages threatening to release the footage if the consultant spoke out against the senator publicly.

One message, quoted by The Washington Post, warned: 'I'll share this video with everybody you know--everyone she knows, every rabbi in town, your kids, your wife, her daughters.'

The AP reported that the blackmail attempt was aimed at protecting Attar's standing within Baltimore's Orthodox Jewish community, where she is regarded as a trailblazer for being the first Orthodox Jewish woman elected to the Maryland legislature.

Political Rise Now Overshadowed By Criminal Case

Attar, a former prosecutor and member of the House of Delegates before joining the state senate in 2025, quickly gained recognition for her advocacy on housing and education issues.

Her arrest marks a stunning reversal for what many saw as a promising political career.

In her first public statement, the senator denied wrongdoing, saying she was 'deeply disappointed by the allegations' and described the case as 'rooted in lies by a disgruntled former employee,' as reported by AP.

Attar and her co-defendants were released after surrendering their passports, The Washington Post said. She is expected to appear in court later this month.

Hidden Devices and Plan To Silence Critics

According to People, the alleged recording took place in an apartment owned by Finkelstein's family, where hidden surveillance cameras had been installed in smoke detectors.

Prosecutors said the group's goal was to intimidate the consultant, who had worked closely with Attar, from speaking about personal and political disputes.

The indictment also describes how the conspirators allegedly monitored the victim's movements using a GPS tracker and used encrypted messaging apps to coordinate threats.

Legal analysts told The Post that the charges--including extortion via interstate communications, illegal wiretapping, and conspiracy--could carry up to 20 years in federal prison if the defendants are convicted.

Community Reaction: 'A Betrayal of Trust'

The news has sent shockwaves through Baltimore's close-knit Orthodox community. Community leaders told The Baltimore Banner that the allegations felt like 'a betrayal of trust' from someone who had long been seen as a role model.

One resident, who asked not to be named, told the paper that the scandal had 'deeply embarrassed the community and put a shadow over years of progress for women in local politics.'

Political analyst Larry Gibson told Maryland Matters that the case may 'redefine how personal conduct is scrutinised in state politics,' noting that the fallout could influence upcoming legislative elections.

Next Steps In the Investigation

The FBI's Baltimore field office has not commented publicly on the investigation. The US Attorney's Office for Maryland confirmed that the case remains active and that prosecutors are reviewing whether additional charges may be filed against other individuals.

If convicted, Attar would be required to resign her Senate seat, according to state ethics rules. For now, she has refused to step down and continues to attend committee meetings.

The AP said the case highlights the growing misuse of hidden surveillance technology and digital coercion in political conflicts.

Privacy experts have called for stricter laws against 'sextortion' and 'non-consensual image abuse,' which the FBI says rose by more than 70 per cent last year.

As the case unfolds, Maryland's political establishment is bracing for further revelations — and a courtroom battle that could expose the dark side of ambition in state politics.

As Senator Attar prepares for her first court appearance, Maryland's political class braces for fallout that could reshape trust in local governance.

Whether the evidence proves conspiracy or collapses under scrutiny, the case has already exposed a darker, more invasive side of political ambition.