# California's High-Speed Rail CEO Resigns After State Investigators Questioned Consultants' First-Class Trips and Spending

Breitbart says Ian Choudri leaves after a probe found consultants billed trips to a nightclub, cigar lounge and restaurants. Joe Stephenshaw, the former finance director, replaces him. Choudri cites family priorities.

- Section: [Economy](https://rightnewsrightnow.com/economy/)
- Published: 2026-10-30
- By: RightNewsRightNow Staff
- Canonical page: https://rightnewsrightnow.com/articles/california-high-speed-rail-ceo-ian-choudri-resigns-first-class-trips-state-investigators-stephenshaw-kawa-breitbart/

The head of California's bullet train project is out after weeks of pressure over spending, Breitbart reports.

The resignation. Ian Choudri, chief executive of the California High-Speed Rail Authority since 2024, resigned Wednesday. In a memo he said he was leaving to focus on "important personal and family priorities" and called the job "one of the most meaningful and rewarding chapters of my professional life." Board chair Steve Kawa said on Thursday that the resignation "reflects the board's commitment to accountability and transparency, consistent with the governor's mandate," and added, "Californians deserve a project they can trust." Breitbart says the board had been weighing his firing for weeks.

The replacement. Joe Stephenshaw, who previously led the state Department of Finance, takes over.

The probe. Breitbart cites CalMatters on a tenure marked by "budget woes, project delays, transparency concerns and various scandals," including nearly $600,000 in taxpayer money spent on questionable trips by authority consultants. State investigators found last month that consultants flew first class, took premium rides and went to a nightclub, a cigar lounge and restaurants, sometimes at Choudri's request. Many trips went to Folsom, the Sacramento suburb where Choudri has a home, sometimes after hours. Earlier this month the board limited his contracting power, requiring in-house legal counsel to sign off first on contracts under $25 million.

The project. Citing the New York Times, Breitbart says that six years after the original completion estimate, crews have broken ground on one 119-mile section of roughly 500 miles planned, and the plans have been scaled back after delays and cost overruns. CalMatters says the authority lost $4 billion in federal funding under the Trump administration after missing train-purchase deadlines. The state sued, dropped the suit in December 2025, called Trump "not a reliable partner" and turned to private investors.

Note for readers: Choudri gave a personal reason and the reporting does not say he was found to have done anything wrong himself. The spending findings concern consultants, some trips made at his request. Our earlier story on Steve Hilton and the project's cost is on the site.

## Source

Original reporting: [Breitbart](https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/10/29/california-high-speed-rail-chief-executive-resigns-after-state-investigators-question-spending/)