Andrew Brown and Dave Altimari / CT Mirror

Konstantinos Diamantis, Connecticut’s former deputy budget director, was found guilty on Wednesday of using his position overseeing the state’s school construction office to enrich himself and his family.

Konstantinos “Kosta” Diamantis, Connecticut’s former state deputy budget director, took the witness stand in federal court in Bridgeport in an effort to fend off allegations that he used his position overseeing the state’s school building office to solicit tens of thousands of dollars in bribes from construction contractors.

Remarks by a Connecticut judge sent a strong signal about how seriously the judicial system views the alleged crimes that took place during Bridgeport’s 2019 and 2023 Democratic mayoral primaries, experts say.

One of the highest-ranking officials in Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration was involved in the decision to cancel a 2020 audit that threatened to expose how a Connecticut eye doctor with powerful political connections had billed the state’s Medicaid program for procedures she never performed, documents show.

The charges are first to emerge from a sprawling investigation of ballot fraud in the 2023 Democratic race between Joe Ganim and John Gomes.

Helen Zervas admitted to paying $95,000 to an OPM official and state legislator to end an audit of her Medicaid overpayments.