Quick summary
A Maryland state senator has been hit with a federal indictment accusing her of taking part in a scheme to silence a former campaign consultant by threatening to release an explicit video. The indictment, unsealed this week, names the senator along with her brother and a Baltimore police officer who once worked on her campaign.
What prosecutors say happened
Federal prosecutors allege the group recorded the consultant in a bedroom using hidden devices that were disguised as smoke detectors while she stayed at an apartment tied to the officer. The recording was allegedly meant to be leverage — a threat to make the tape public if the consultant criticized the senator’s campaign.
Messages, threats and the fallout
The indictment describes private messages and instructions exchanged among the defendants about keeping the consultant quiet. Prosecutors say one of the defendants even went to the man who appears in the recording to demand that the consultant be left alone and warned that the video could be shared widely, including with community leaders and family members, if she didn’t back off.
Charges and legal details
The indictment contains eight counts, including conspiracy, extortion via interstate communications, aiding and abetting, and illegal interception and disclosure of a wire. At the time the indictment was unsealed, none of the defendants had lawyers listed in public court filings.
Who the senator is
The lawmaker at the center of the case is Dalya Attar, a Baltimore Democrat who earlier served in the Maryland House of Delegates and was appointed this year to the state Senate. She also is noted as the first Orthodox Jewish woman to serve in the Maryland Senate.
Why people are talking
Beyond the criminal allegations, the case has raised questions about campaign tactics, privacy and the lengths to which people will allegedly go to protect a political run. The indictment claims the tape was intended not only to silence criticism but also to damage personal relationships and reputation in the consultant’s community.
What’s next
The case will proceed through the federal courts. The indictment lays out the allegations, but they are accusations that must be proven. No trial dates were included in the initial public filings, and the legal teams for the defendants had not been listed in online records when the indictment was unsealed.
