Diamantis' Second Corruption Trial Begins

0:00It's May 1st. Welcome to Hartford News Today, powered by AI. Constantinos the Emanthus, the former deputy budget director under Governor Ned Lamont, faces his second corruption trial with jury selection starting, December 4th. He's accused of taking $95,000 in bribes from a Bristol eye doctor, audited for Medicaid fraud, pressuring officials to kill the audit. Meanwhile, the judge set Diamontis's sentencing for his first trial, mid-September, almost a year after he got convicted on 21 counts of, bribery, extortion, and lying from deals with school construction contractors. Both prosecutors and his defense attorney agreed to push the second trial to December, citing scheduling issues in heavy media coverage in, Connecticut that could sway a jury. They wanted space between the sentencing and the new trial to let publicity die down, plus prosecutors have other cases lined up this spring and summer. Diamontis recently dropped plans to plead guilty and go to trial instead.

1:03This next one should wrap in under a week, but expect big attention with witnesses by former state officials and a Democratic lawmaker. His bribe sources, the doctor and her fiance, already pleaded guilty and he's fighting five counts including extortion and tax fraud. Keep an eye on how this unfolds for state politics.