After $600,000 wasted, CA high-speed rail board limits CEO’s power

The board that oversees the California High-Speed Rail Authority decided on Oct. 9. to limit Chief Executive Ian Choudri’s contracting authority after an investigation found that the agency spent $600,000 in taxpayer dollars on “questionable travel expenses,”  Yue Stella Yu writes for Cal Matters. 

Choudri will no longer be able to manage or sign contracts under $25 million — the board already has control of contracts over that amount. The chief executive is also no longer able to change or approve any new or existing contracts. 

CalMatters reports:

Board chair Steve Kawa told reporters afterward that the decision “adds additional eyes and ears and authority” over issues exposed by the investigation.

“We are not just gonna sit back and ignore that we had this travel issue,” he said. “Not one dollar of California taxpayer dollars should be misused.”