The federal criminal trial for Connecticut’s former deputy budget director starts Monday, October 6.
Konstantinos “Kosta” Diamantis, 69, oversaw school construction grants in Connecticut from 2015 to 2021. For the last two of those years, he was also the state’s deputy budget director.
Diamantis is accused of soliciting bribes and gifts from the construction companies he hired.
The former seven-term state representative from Farmington faces 22 charges of bribery, extortion, conspiracy and lying to federal investigators.
He was arrested in May of 2024. He pleaded not guilty on all counts. If he’s convinced, some of his charges carry prison sentences up to 20 years.
Diamantis was fired from his state job before the investigation into his contracts was made public. He was let go for nepotism — he helped his daughter get a job with the office of the Chief State’s Attorney.
Norm Pattis is representing Diamantis. Pattis has added Governor Ned Lamont (D), whose administration Diamantis worked under as deputy budget director, to the list of potential witnesses. Lamont could end up being asked to testify.
Three people involved with the case have already pleaded guilty.
