Connecticut’s former state budget deputy, Konstantinos “Kosta” Diamantis, fled the state earlier this month and is now in northern Greece. He left days before a scheduled federal hearing that would likely have resulted in a prison sentence on 21 counts of bribery, extortion, conspiracy and lying to investigators about steering school‑construction contracts.
Letter alleges “weaponization” of the Justice Department
Through his attorney, Norm Pattis, Diamantis released a 10‑page letter that accuses Governor Ned Lamont of using the Connecticut District of the Department of Justice as a political weapon. He writes, “The Department of Justice District of Connecticut was used by the Governor of Connecticut, Ned Lamont, to weaponize the DOJ and to engage in legal warfare against me.” Diamantis further claims the governor leveraged a “powerful friendship” with President Joe Biden to create an “insular system of Justice.”
Trump‑style language and a pardon request
During a phone interview on WNHH FM’s “Dateline New Haven,” Diamantis said he deliberately chose the word “weaponization” because it resonates with President Donald Trump’s rhetoric. He added, “If that’s his language, or if that’s his basis for at least certain pardons, then that’s the language you use.” Diamantis has submitted an application for a presidential pardon to President Trump, hoping the administration will view his case through the same lens.
No response from the White House
Diamantis said he has not yet heard from the Trump administration regarding his pardon request. The Department of Justice declined to comment on the application.
Governor’s office rejects the claims
Lamont spokesperson Cathryn Vaulman called Diamantis’s allegations “baseless and frankly absurd,” noting that a jury has already found the former deputy guilty of repeatedly soliciting and accepting bribes. She said, “He should stop attempting to relitigate his multiple felonies in the media and return to Connecticut to face the consequences of his actions.”
Details of the flight
According to government reports, Diamantis left the United States by sailing from Florida to the Bahamas, then flying to London before arriving in Greece. In the interview he described his stay in Greece as “free with friends,” refusing to name them and emphasizing that he does not want anyone harassed for identifying them.
Evidence claims
Diamantis asserts that two former U.S. attorneys—Nora Dannehy, now Lamont’s chief legal counsel, and her husband, former U.S. attorney Len Boyle—were involved in improper requests to the DOJ. He says his 60‑page pardon application contains evidence of these alleged requests, but he declined to release it publicly.
Legal consequences
While Diamantis acknowledges that fleeing the country “makes it a harder case,” he expressed no regret, stating, “Nothing in the world is going to change my opinion about why I left or the reasons that I feel about the injustices and the weaponization.” He noted his age—70 years—and the prospect of spending “three years or more in prison” while awaiting appeal.
What’s next?
The federal court will proceed with sentencing once Diamantis is returned to the United States. The Trump administration’s decision on the pardon request remains pending, and the governor’s office maintains that the former deputy must face the legal consequences of his conduct.
Original reporting: New Haven Independent — read the source article.
