Who is Kosta Diamantis?

Mathew Biadun | News-Editor

A dramatic trial began this week for Kosta Diamantis, the former legislator and former head of Connecticut’s school construction office. He is charged with over twenty federal counts of bribery, extortion, conspiracy, and lying to federal authorities as he engaged in corruption while serving in the Lamont administration. The trial may even see Governor Lamont called to the witness stand to testify.

Konstantinos ‘Kosta’ Diamantis had served as a state representative from Bristol between 1993 and 2005, before working for the Malloy administration and then the Lamont administration, where he was charged with heading the state agency overseeing school construction. It was in that position that he began engaging in corrupt activities. One such activity involved getting his daughter a job at ‘Construction Advocacy Professionals’ one month after landing them a construction project in Tolland. Another saw him pressuring towns to hire certain contractors for other projects.

Diamantis later secured another job for his daughter, this time as an executive assistant for Chief State Attorney Richard Colangelo. Colangelo resigned shortly after this was revealed by a private investigation.

Other politicians have also been tied to Diamantis. Chris Ziogas, another state representative from Bristol, was found to have covered up his fiance’s Medicaid fraud at her dentistry. His fiance paid Diamantis $95,000, who then helped cancel an audit that would have exposed her. Ziogas has since been indicted by federal authorities as well.

It remains to be seen if Ned Lamont will be called to the witness stand. He has said he is ‘on standby’ if he must. The trial is ongoing.