California high-speed rail chief Ian Choudri resigns amid expenses scandal

Summary

Ian Choudri, chief executive of California's high-speed rail authority, abruptly resigned on Wednesday, more than a month after a state watchdog found the agency had misused public funds. In September, the state's office of the inspector general released an investigative report finding that the rail authority had paid $543,000 in travel-related reimbursements to consultants that were not allowed, including international and out-of-state travel expenses. The Guardian's report describes the agency as overseeing the troubled Los Angeles to San Francisco project and says the misused funds exceeded $600,000.

Timeline

1. The Guardian

   30 Oct 2026, 01:37 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that Ian Choudri, chief executive of California's embattled high-speed rail authority, abruptly resigned on Wednesday, over a month after a state watchdog found the agency had misused over $600,000 in public funds, including $543,000 in travel-related reimbursements for consultants that were not allowed.