Head of California high-speed rail agency resigns amid travel expenses scandal
An inspector general report found $592,000 in unallowable consultant travel expenses, and the board named an interim president after Choudri stepped down.
- Chief Executive Ian Choudri resigned late Wednesday, citing "important personal and family priorities" ahead of a critical board vote on environmental clearance for the final Anaheim-to-Los Angeles rail segment.
- Inspector general reports revealed the misuse of nearly $600,000 in taxpayer funds for questionable consultant travel, including visits to cigar lounges, nightclubs, and escape rooms on the agency's dime.
- Political pressure mounted when California Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra promised to remove Choudri if elected; the CEO took voluntary leave earlier this year following an arrest on suspicion of domestic battery.
- Consulting firms recently paid nearly $1.3 million in reimbursements to the agency, though the project remains more than 30 years behind schedule and over $100 billion beyond its original budget.
- The board is evaluating environmental clearance for the final $8.8 billion leg connecting Anaheim to Los Angeles; if approved, the entire route would be cleared for construction, though most of the nearly 500-mile project remains unfunded.
46 Articles
46 Articles
JUST IN: California’s High-Speed Rail to Nowhere Chief Abruptly Resigns Amid Questions About Multi-Billion Dollar Boondoggle * The Gateway Pundit * by Cristina Laila
Ian Choudri, the CEO of California’s high-speed rail to nowhere abruptly resigned late Wednesday night amid questions about the multi-billion-dollar boondoggle. Originally greenlit by the voters with the promise of linking Los Angeles to San Francisco in a modern, efficient bullet train system for a mere $33 billion with a completion date set for four years ago, the project has ballooned to an eyewatering $128 bilion to $130 billion, with no cle…
California High-Speed Rail CEO Resigns Over Alleged Misuse of Taxpayer Funds
California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO Ian Choudri resigned Wednesday night as the troubled project faces mounting financial pressure and scrutiny over questionable consultant travel expenses, including taxpayer-funded trips to a nightclub, a gym, and an escape room.
Associated Press News
Head of California high-speed rail agency resigns amid travel expenses scandal
The CEO of California’s high-speed rail authority resigned late Wednesday, saying he needs to focus on “important personal and family priorities,” according to a copy of the emailed resignation obtained by CalMatters.
The Derrick
California's High Speed Rail Authority boss Choudri resigns under fire
LOS ANGELES — The chief executive of the California's High Speed Rail Authority abruptly resigned late Wednesday amid intensifying scrutiny over cost overruns, project delays and wasteful expenses. In a letter to authority executives Ian Choudri cited "personal and family…
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