The attorney for Kosta Diamantis, the former state official who was fired from one position and resigned from another last year, argued Monday that the governor’s top lieutenants created an unbearable working environment for him and “set a trap” that forced him to retire rather than fight an investigation into the school construction grant program that he oversaw.

“Mr. Diamantis is claiming that he was constructively fired from his position because a situation was created in which his working conditions were so confrontational, so unbearable,” Attorney Zach Reiland said during a teleconference hearing before the Employee Review Board Monday morning.

“The trap was set and they got what they wanted, which was him to retire and then for them to be able to shut him out by claiming he no longer has recompense to this board. They shouldn’t be allowed to do that,” Reiland said.

The hearing lasted nearly two hours, but there was no resolution of the central issue: whether the board has jurisdiction to hold a hearing on Diamantis’ grievance.

The board was unable to act Monday because only two of the board’s five members were present, and three are needed to vote. Board member Victor Schoen said a third board member will review the transcripts from Monday’s hearing so they can quickly make a ruling on whether to hold a full hearing with witnesses.

On Oct. 28, Gov. Ned Lamont removed Diamantis from his appointed position as undersecretary at the Office of Policy and Management and...

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