Stefanowski Speaks: Colangelo Should Resign.

Republican gubernatorial hopeful Bob Stefanowski on Tuesday called on Chief State’s Attorney Richard Colangelo. A hiring scandal has engulfed Colangelo since October. A report from former U.S. Attorney Stanley Twardy issued a report on the investigation he was engaged by Governor Ned Lamont’s office to conduct into Colangelo’s June 2020 hiring of deputy budget director Kostantinos Diamantis’s daughter Anastasia Diamantis as a $99,000-a-year executive assistant.

Stefanowski’s campaign issued this statement late Tuesday morning:

“It has been a week since the independent report was released about the unethical behavior of Chief State’s Attorney Richard Colangelo, said Stefanowski. “Justice Andrew McDonald, Chair of the Connecticut Criminal Justice Commission, the Attorney General and the target of the investigation all indicated they needed time to review the 500 page report in order to proceed,” said Stefanowski. “It’s been a week of Connecticut residents questioning the ethics of the state’s top prosecutor, and that is a week too long. It’s time for Mr. Colangelo to resign immediately.”

Diamantis resigned shortly after being suspended from his job at the end of October. Twardy’s report revealed federal law enforcement authorities are investigating two programs Diamantis oversaw, school construction grants and a state pier project in New London.

Diamantis’s supervisor and close friend, budget director Melissa McCaw, was spared direct criticism in the public portion of Twardy’s report. Her actions are also thought to be under scrutiny. McCaw is scheduled to face legislators Thursday at a budget hearing. The meeting will provide legislators an opportunity to question McCaw on what she knew about the Diamantis’s handling of the school construction grant program and when she knew it.

Published February 8, 2022.