Former Connecticut budget official convicted of taking bribes from school construction contractors

A former top official in Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont’s budget office was convicted Wednesday of extorting private contractors for thousands of dollars in bribes as he oversaw large sums of state money for school construction projects.

Konstantinos “Kosta” Diamantis, 69, also a former Democratic state representative and a lawyer, was convicted by a federal jury in Bridgeport of more than 20 charges, including extortion, bribery, conspiracy and false statements. Sentencing is set for Jan. 14.

“It was a clean sweep, I was just hoping it would go the other way,” Diamantis told reporters after leaving the courtroom.

His lawyer, Norman Pattis, said they plan to appeal the convictions, calling them a “disappointment.” He said Diamantis could be facing a “catastrophic sentence” of 10 years or more.

Diamantis, who denied the allegations and remains free on bond, was accused of using his position as director of the state’s Office of School Construction Grants and Review to demand and ultimately receive thousands of dollars in bribes from contractors, from 2018 to 2021, in exchange for helping the companies obtain and maintain contracts for work on multimillion-dollar, state-funded school construction projects.

He was also accused of threatening to terminate those contracts if he wasn’t paid.

During the trial, witnesses testified about handing Diamantis envelopes of cash at various locations, including in a men’s room at an upscale downtown Hartford restaurant, at a doughnut shop and at Diamantis’ Farmington home. Some payments were referred to in messages as “birthday cards,” “pars” and “birdies.”

Diamantis, who testified in his own defense, admitted that he received the money but insisted it was legitimate consulting income for helping a masonry company expand its business. He said he researched state ethics rules and believed the payments were legal, maintaining he had no authority over which companies received contracts.

He also denied accusations that he used his power to obtain payments and a job for his daughter at an “inflated salary” from the owner of a construction management company. Antonietta Roy, who owns Construction Advocacy Professionals and already pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery, testified that she “did not want to get on his bad side.”

Prosecutors highlighted emails and texts showing Diamantis pressing his former brother-in-law, masonry company vice president John Duffy, for cash, writing, “I’ve done my part, I need action,” and warning he was close to missing a mortgage payment. Duffy forwarded the message to company president Salvatore Monarca, saying Diamantis was “like a vulture.” Both men have pleaded guilty to conspiring to bribe the former official.

Early in the trial, Pattis unsuccessfully sought to subpoena Lamont, arguing that his testimony would show Diamantis’ urgency stemmed from the governor’s push to finish projects on time. The judge ruled Lamont’s testimony irrelevant to the charges.

Lamont has distanced himself from the scandal, saying that he didn’t hire Diamantis and that he removed him from his posts in 2021 after “allegations of ethical improprieties surfaced.” The Democrat ordered an independent review of the school construction grant program, which led to several changes.

Speaking to WTNH-TV on Tuesday, Diamantis said he was afraid of going to prison.

“Do I deserve it? I do not. And I’m hoping the jury comes to that,” he said.

A second federal corruption case against Diamantis remains pending. In that case, he pleaded not guilty to allegations that in exchange for bribes, he helped pressure state officials in 2020 into canceling the audit of an eye doctor who later pleaded guilty to Medicare and Medicaid fraud.

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Associated Press writer Dave Collins contributed to this report.