State Sen. Dalya Attar, D-Baltimore City, is running for re-election despite facing a federal indictment on eight felony counts. The charges stem from allegations that Attar, her brother Joseph Attar, and Baltimore City Police Officer Kalman Finkelstein conspired to record a former political consultant having an affair with a married man and use the footage to blackmail her.

Background of the Case

The case began in 2018 when the consultant worked on Attar’s successful Maryland House of Delegates campaign. Prosecutors allege that in January 2020, Attar, her brother, and Finkelstein installed recording devices in the consultant’s apartment and used the footage to blackmail her into not harming Attar’s 2022 House of Delegates campaign.

Attar’s legal team has argued that the case is about a family seeking relief from a prolonged campaign of harassment by a disgruntled former employee. However, federal lawyers have said that there is no evidence to support this claim.

Primary Challenge

Attar is facing a primary challenge from Del. Malcolm Ruff, who has said that Attar should not be representing the community due to her alleged conduct. The winner of the primary is likely to win the general election due to the district’s Democratic lean.

Despite the ongoing case, political scientist John Dedie believes that Attar retains an advantage in her race to be re-elected. If Attar were to be convicted of a federal crime after winning the primary and the November election, she would be forced to resign, and her replacement would be decided by the Democratic Central Committee.

Original reporting: Baltimore Fishbowl — read the source article.