A former Connecticut school construction official who fled to Greece ahead of his sentencing for corruption is defending his actions.
Speaking to Connecticut Public on Tuesday via Facetime, Konstantinos “Kosta” Diamantis said he’s not soaking up the sun there – and that he’s working on his defense.
“Ordinarily, Greece does bring about emotions to enjoy and relax and see the beauty of the country and the people but that’s not why I’m here,” Diamantis told Connecticut Public.
Diamantis holds both American and Greek citizenship. He was due in court last week after being convicted by a federal jury on 21 counts of bribery, extortion, conspiracy and lying to federal investigators regarding school construction projects.
State officials say Diamantis has abused the public’s trust and that they will hold him accountable.
Diamantis said Tuesday that he doesn’t want to spend a day in jail for something he says he didn’t do. He’s applied for a pardon from President Trump and asked the U.S. Department of Justice to review the state’s case against him.
Diamantis, who was fired from his state job in 2021, also spoke out against the state’s attempts to cut off his direct deposit pension payments after he fled to Greece.
"You can imagine that five years with a loss of income is substantial for anybody. And now, I’m 70," Diamantis said. "Everything that I’ve earned over 30 years has been taken away and somehow or other, I’m supposed to maintain a lifestyle to be able to at least take care of myself. And the only way to do that is with a pension and the social security that I have.”
Connecticut’s attorney general, William Tong, says Diamantis "abused the public trust."
"His disappearance ... 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," Tong said in a statement.
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Here are excerpts from Connecticut Public's conversation with Diamantis:
Interview highlights
What's the next step? Is there something that you're trying to do in terms of your freedom? Is there a pardon in the works? What are you trying to do?
As you know, I have submitted a document for a pardon, but the pardon was part of it. The other part was I was hoping the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington would look at the information that I've provided and substantiated, and certainly willing to provide any additional information they may may want to review the accusations that I have made, and hopefully find finding of fact that I was correct. So that was part one. Part two, of course, is in fact the pardon. ... I guess there's a third. The third is going to an appeal, making sure we have all the information necessary for an appeal as well.
Is there any way you would come back then voluntarily for sentencing or for the appeal? What's the situation got to be that's going to bring you back?
I don't know that I can give you a clear answer on that. I wish I could, but I'll know it when I make that decision. I'll know when it's right.
Gov. Ned Lamont told reporters this week that you were found guilty by a jury of your peers, and he says he's surprised that the media are giving you such a platform. So, what's your response to that? What would you say to the governor?
I'm surprised that he's afraid that I've been given such a platform to discuss the matter.
I would beg to differ as far as far as I'm concerned about a jury of my peers, a jury that deliberated with information that was presented over a three-week period, deliberated for six hours, knowing full well that some of those contracts, for instance, that were introduced by the government would have taken more than six hours if you bothered to open them, look at them, review them, and compare them.
I'm not so sure that the jury got it right, and if anybody, it should be the governor that should understand that juries aren't always right, which is why he's had to dish out a few million dollars to individuals who have been found proven innocent after spending 20 and 30 years of their life in a prison. So, if anybody should understand that juries get it wrong, he should.
Your principal argument here is basically you didn't get a fair shake.
Yes, that is exactly right, and that I was a target of retaliation.
Help me understand what's going to happen if you do come back to Connecticut.
It would have been nice to have been sentenced and be able to file an appeal and be out and waiting for that answer on the appeal as to whether or not a mistrial should be granted, and a new trial granted, I should say, and proceed forward.
That would be the ultimate for me, to be able to do this trial once again, but my attorney had suggested that that would be a slim-to-none chance that I would be out pending an appeal. Because if I spent a day in jail, it's a day that I didn't deserve, and a day that I spent in jail would lead people to believe that I'm guilty.
I heard that from someone today, that somebody automatically thought I was guilty. Didn't sit in the courtroom, didn't hear the evidence, just read the paper and said the jury found him guilty. Well, the jury was wrong.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Connecticut Public's Jim Haddadin, Matt Dwyer, Eric Aasen, John Henry Smith and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
