Dalya Attar, a Maryland state senator and a Democrat — who was the first Orthodox Jewish women in Maryland’s chambers — is facing federal charges of extortion. Last week, she was arrested after an Oct. 23, 2013 grand jury slapped her with 8 counts.
Attar’s 35-year-old accuser says she didn’t play dirty politics, but instead went for the full spy thriller, installing hidden cameras, tracking devices, recording rivals in bed, and even threatening them with a bomb if they did not keep quiet.
Indictment: Attar allegedly targeted a former political consultant with whom she worked — as well as a married male — by hiding cameras in smoke detectors, and attaching a tracking device to a vehicle. Feds claim that she used the footage as a weapon when it was released.
In January 2020, her crew broke into an apartment, installed surveillance and demanded that the enemies of Dalya “leave Dalya” and warned them they would broadcast the video to everyone, including “every Rabbi around town.”
Attar’s court documents state that she was worried about the fact her voting history would be shared with the Jewish community and that the consultant “wanted to screw me”. Prosecutors say that she first tried to blackmail them.
Four other unidentified participants are listed as part of the scheme.
Attar’s reelection campaign in 2021 allegedly intensified the tension. The day after she announced her intention to run for re-election, Attar’s brother approached the man and offered him an “opportunity”. He also warned that he could have “hours” worth of footage from the bedroom at his fingertips.
Prosecutors claim that the threat was to distribute the tape “to everyone you know, to everybody she knows, to every Rabbi in your town, to your children, to your wife and to her daughters”.
The office of Maryland Senate president Bill Ferguson tried to maintain a distance. “This is our first time hearing about state senator Dayla Attar’s arrest, and we do not have any further information at this point.”
Attar insists that she is innocent, and paints the case as an attempt to smear her by a bitter former employee.
She said, “I was elected to public office for my belief that it is my duty to serve my beloved community. I will never intentionally undermine the trust of my constituents in me.” The case revolves around the claims of my disgruntled former employee. “We have not seen any evidence that supports the claim I was aware of illegal acts taken on my behalf.”
I look forward to telling my story and believe that the truth is the ultimate arbiter. “I will serve my community in the interim with dignity and honor and I look forward to transparency.”
