Sex, Lies And Videotape: Democrat Lawmaker Indicted In Wild Alleged Extortion Scheme To Silence Political Critic

Democratic state Sen. Dalya Attar of Maryland was one of three people charged with extortion and conspiracy by a federal grand jury, according to court documents unsealed Thursday.

Attar, a former prosecutor in Baltimore, was charged along with her brother and a Baltimore police officer in a scheme targeting a former political consultant in Attar’s 2018 run for the Maryland House of Delegates, according to the indictment. The three allegedly used a hidden camera to record a sexual encounter between the former consultant and a married man, then threatened them to remain silent about Attar’s candidacy.

“Victim 1 was a paid political consultant for Dalya Attar’s 2018 candidacy for the Maryland House of Delegates. Shortly before the election, Victim 1’s involvement with Dalya Attar’s campaign was discontinued after a disagreement,” the indictment reads. “After leaving Dalya Attar’s campaign, Victim 1 was known by Dalya Attar and her associates to be unsupportive of Dalya Attar’s candidacy for office.”

The defendants allegedly used the cameras hidden in smoke detectors to videotape a January 2020 sexual encounter between the consultant and her married paramour, according to the unsealed indictment. Attar’s brother allegedly entered an apartment owned by a relative of the police officer and planted the hidden cameras.

“It was the purpose of the conspiracy that the co-conspirators sought to surreptitiously obtain evidence of the relationship between Victims 1 and 2 so that the evidence could be used to prevent Victim 1 from (i) engaging in any act or speech that could negatively impact the election campaign or political aspirations of Dalya Attar; (ii) performing any work for any other candidates for office who would challenge Dalya Attar,; and (iii) otherwise taking any action that could negatively influence Dalya Attar’s election campaigns, including the 2022 Maryland House of Delegates election,” the indictment alleges.