California High-Speed Rail CEO Resigns Amid Travel Expense Scandal

Ian Choudri resigned Wednesday night as chief executive of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, citing important personal and family priorities in his resignation letter. His departure took effect immediately during a two-day board meeting that continued Thursday.

The resignation follows a turbulent two-year tenure marked by budget problems, project delays, transparency concerns, and scandals involving nearly $600,000 in taxpayer money spent on questionable consultant travel. A state investigation found that consultants flew first class, used premium transportation, and visited nightclubs, cigar lounges, tiki bars, gyms, and an escape room at taxpayer expense.

“This has not been an easy decision, as leading the Authority has been one of the most significant and rewarding chapters of my professional life.”

Some trips involved travel to Folsom, the Sacramento suburb where Choudri owns a home, sometimes outside business hours. Investigators determined that many expenses lacked adequate justification and that the authority reimbursed consultants without sufficient review.

The board appointed state Department of Finance Director Joe Stephenshaw as interim president Thursday morning. Earlier this month, the board had restricted Choudri's contracting authority, requiring in-house legal counsel to approve contracts worth less than $25 million and considering further disciplinary action, including possible termination.

Consulting firms repaid nearly $1.3 million to the agency on Wednesday. The board also approved a $772.1 million contract, according to CalMatters.

Under Choudri's leadership, the authority lost $4 billion in federal funds during President Donald Trump's administration after repeatedly missing funding agreement deadlines for train purchases. The state initially sued Trump over the missing funds but abruptly withdrew the lawsuit in December 2025, citing Trump as an unreliable partner and turning instead to private investors.

Choudri did not respond to CalMatters' email and text message requests for comment Wednesday night, and his last day of work remains unknown.