A former senior budget official for Connecticut’s Democratic governor is now a fugitive in Greece after fleeing the US by boat and plane ahead of his sentencing for corruption, his lawyer and prosecutors told a federal judge on Thursday.
asserted
lawyer → flee → Thursday
Konstantinos “Kosta” Diamantis, 70, also sent his attorney a 10-page email accusing Gov. Ned Lamont of weaponizing the justice system against him, denying wrongdoing and saying his life, reputation and family relationships were ruined by the prosecution.
asserted
life → send → prosecution
He could have faced more than 10 years in prison at his sentencing Thursday in federal court in Bridgeport.
uncertain
He → face → Bridgeport
Diamantis, who was also a former Democratic state representative, was convicted by a federal jury last year of extorting private contractors for thousands of dollars in bribes from 2018 to 2021, in exchange for helping the companies keep and obtain work on multimillion-dollar school construction contracts.
asserted
companies → convict → contracts
He told reporters at the time that he was afraid to go to prison.
asserted
he → tell → prison
The prospects of returning Diamantis — who holds both American and Greek citizenship — to the US are unclear.
uncertain
who → return → US
Greek courts have upheld the claim that extradition of Greek nationals is forbidden.
uncertain
extradition → uphold → nationals
Diamantis flew to England after traveling to the Bahamas by boat, officials say
Authorities and Diamantis’ lawyer, Norman Pattis, did not say when Diamantis left the US.
asserted
Diamantis → fly → US
Federal prosecutors said he traveled by boat from Florida to the Bahamas, then boarded a plane to London.
They said that although Diamantis had surrendered his US passport, he obtained a Greek passport.
asserted
he → say → passport
Pattis said he was told by Diamantis during a phone call Wednesday night that he was in Greece and would not be attending the sentencing.
asserted
he → say → sentencing
US District Judge Stefan Underhill set a new sentencing date for Sept. 30 that would go forward with or without Diamantis in attendance.
asserted
that → set → attendance
Connecticut officials were quick Thursday to condemn Diamantis for fleeing the country and took steps to stop his state pension payments.
asserted
officials → condemn → payments
“Kosta Diamantis betrayed the public’s trust and needs to be held accountable for his actions,” the governor said in a statement.
asserted
governor → betray → statement
“His repeated efforts to skirt justice are shameful.
asserted
efforts → repeat → justice
I hope he is apprehended and made to face the music as soon as possible.”
asserted
he → hope → music
State Attorney General William Tong, also a Democrat, added in a statement, “His disappearance this morning is a shameful insult to every person in Connecticut and will not deter our efforts to fully protect the state’s interest and taxpayer dollars.”
asserted
disappearance → add → interest
Prosecutors sought a decade-long prison sentence
Prosecutors asked the judge to send Diamantis to prison for 10 to 12 years, while Pattis argued in court documents for a sentence that included no prison time but strict conditions of release.
asserted
that → seek → release
After the court hearing, the defense attorney told reporters that he was surprised that Diamantis fled the country.
asserted
Diamantis → tell → country
“I think that Mr. Diamantis was facing a tough day here today and would have gotten at least four or five years, perhaps 10 to 12,” he said.
asserted
he → think → years
“So as a lawyer, I cannot support his decision to take the law into his own hands.
asserted
I → support → hands
But as a fellow human being, I understand why he did what he did.”
asserted
he → understand → what
Start your day with all you need to know
Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.
asserted
Report → start → news
Diamantis maintained his innocence since his arrest
Pattis provided copies of the email Diamantis sent to him to media outlets.
asserted
Diamantis → maintain → outlets
“The injustice that has occurred to me and my family by political weaponization is beyond rational belief,” Diamantis wrote in the email.
asserted
Diamantis → occur → email
“I have lost everything that took me an entire lifetime to earn and more.
asserted
that → lose → more
It is devastating to lose your home, your children’s home, your car, your job, the ability to get a job, your law license, your honor, your dignity and pride.”
asserted
It → lose → job
He said he hopes President Donald Trump and the US attorney’s office in Washington would take a look at his case.
asserted
Trump → say → case
Diamantis claimed Lamont used “the power of his office and his powerful friendship with President Biden to create an insular system of justice” aimed at protecting the governor’s own wrongdoing.
asserted
Lamont → claim → wrongdoing
Diamantis has another pending criminal case in federal court, where he’s accused of taking bribes to quash a state audit of an eye doctor accused of Medicaid fraud.
asserted
he → have → fraud
Witnesses said they gave Diamantis envelopes of cash
asserted
they → say → cash
In the school construction grants case, Diamantis was convicted 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 to steer building contracts their way, from 2018 to 2021.
asserted
Diamantis → convict → 2021
He was accused of threatening to terminate those contracts if he wasn’t paid.
asserted
he → accuse → contracts
During the trial, witnesses testified about handing Diamantis envelopes of cash at various locations, including a men’s room at an upscale restaurant, a doughnut shop and his home.
asserted
witnesses → testify → restaurant
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.
asserted
it → refer → money
The Aporia
