California High Speed Rail Authority boss Ian Choudri resigns under fire

California High-Speed Rail Authority chief executive Ian Choudri resigned late Wednesday, ending his tenure weeks after state investigators questioned $600,000 in agency spending. In a letter to authority executives, Choudri cited personal and family priorities for his abrupt departure. Board Chair Steve Kawa announced that Joe Stephenshaw, the state Department of Finance director, has been named interim CEO. Kawa stated the resignation reflects the board’s commitment to accountability and transparency, aligning with the governor’s mandate under new leadership. He added that Californians deserve a project they can trust. Choudri assumed the role in 2024. During his tenure, the project lost billions of dollars in federal funding after Republican lawmakers demanded an investigation. A subsequent months-long review concluded there was no viable path forward for the initiative. Recently, the authority’s inspector general reported that the agency approved hundreds of thousands of dollars in wasteful travel expenses for four consulting firms. These costs included trips to an escape room and a cigar lounge. As scrutiny intensified regarding Choudri’s involvement in these approvals, the board moved to limit his powers. Earlier this month, he was stripped of the authority to sign and manage contracts up to $25 million. Assemblymember Alexandra M. Macedo, representing a district with active construction, urged the board to oust the CEO. Political figures weighed in on the leadership change. Hours before the resignation, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra told Sacramento-area media that he would remove Choudri if elected. His Republican rival, Steve Hilton, pledged to cancel the high-speed rail project entirely. Senator Tony Strickland, vice chair of the state Senate Transportation Committee, argued that the authority should terminate the project. He described the effort as a failure and called for immediate relief for residents paying high gas taxes, rejecting further leadership turnover. Choudri joined the project from infrastructure design firm HNTB Corp., bringing over three decades of transportation experience. Earlier this year, he was arrested on suspicion of domestic battery. He took voluntary leave during the assessment period and later returned to his post. The Sacramento County district attorney’s office declined to file charges due to insufficient evidence. The resignation was announced just hours before the rail authority board approved environmental clearance for the final 33-mile segment from Anaheim to Los Angeles. This action clears the entire route from Anaheim to San Francisco for construction, although most of the nearly 500-mile line remains unfunded. The $8.8 billion Los Angeles to Anaheim leg completes the project’s first phase. Current work is limited to a 119-mile portion of the Central Valley, with no construction dates set for other sections. The train is more than 30 years behind schedule and exceeds its original budget by more than $100 billion. The newly cleared section will connect Anaheim near Angel Stadium to Los Angeles Union Station. It passes through Fullerton, Buena Park, La Mirada, Santa Fe Springs, Norwalk, Pico Rivera, Vernon, Commerce, Bell, Montebello, and unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. During public comments preceding the vote, several residents from Vernon opposed the project. They expressed concerns that the rail line would harm the local economy and increase environmental issues.