California High Speed Rail consultants reportedly billed taxpayers for late-night Lyft rides to and from CEO Ian Choudri’s home and local bars, including one ride after 1 a.m. The expenses, totaling nearly $600,000 according to an audit, include trips to Tiki bars and first-class flights. Consultants Nossaman LLP attorney Brent Butzin and KPMG director Thierry Prate were reimbursed for these rides, with explanations like "related to work with Ian." This news adds scrutiny to the troubled $126 billion project, which has faced delays and cost overruns.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-09,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
CBS California Investigates reviewed nearly 6,000 pages of expense records revealing that California High-Speed Rail Authority consultants billed taxpayers for late-night rides from CEO Ian Choudri’s home in Folsom. Denver attorney Brent Butzin and KPMG director Thierry Prate submitted Lyft receipts for rides outside the agency CEO's residence at odd hours, including one after 1 a.m. The inspector general found widespread failures in oversight of consultant travel expenses, with nearly $600,000 in “unallowable” costs incurred by contractors, such as trips to bars and restaurants near Choudri’s home. This prompted questions about the authority's enforcement of contract rules regarding business necessity and cost evaluation for such expenditures.
Written for “California Rail Consultants Billing” on 2026-10-09,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.35, but every quote it verified points right, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 69293: score contradicts its own evidence · logged 2026-10-09
California High Speed Rail bigwigs reportedly billed taxpayers for unexplained late-night trips to and from CEO Ian Choudri’s Folsom home, along with rides to local bars and restaurants — as reps face tough questions about nearly $600,000 in blown expenses revealed in a recent audit.
uncertain
reps → bill → audit
Two rail consultants, Denver-based Nossaman LLP attorney Brent Butzin and KPMG director Thierry Prate, were reimbursed for Lyft rides at odd hours last September, even after 1 a.m in the morning in one instance, according to receipts obtained by CBS Sacramento.
uncertain
consultants → base → Sacramento
The two highly-paid consultants were responsible for a dozen rideshare trips to or from a quiet residential road where Choudri, who nets $638,943 in annual comp to run the troubled bullet train project, owns a home.
asserted
who → pay → home
Another dozen rides were linked to bars or restaurants in Folsom near a pricey surf ‘n turf joint, Land Ocean Steak House, that Choudri is known to frequent, per CBS.
asserted
Choudri → link → CBS
The receipts were part of a bombshell Inspector General audit that found $592,900 in “unallowable” expenses incurred by consultants, including rideshare trips to Tiki bars and an “escape room” and first-class flight upgrades.
asserted
that → find → bars
The revelations added fresh scrutiny to the multibillion-dollar bullet train project that’s been bogged down by lengthy delays and massive cost overruns, with one estimate pegging the total cost at $231 billion.
asserted
estimate → add → billion
An updated business plan from the rail authority estimated the cost at $126.3 billion.
asserted
plan → update → billion
The late-night rides identified by CBS were vaguely explained as “related to work with Ian,” according to a email from KPMG.
uncertain
rides → identify → KPMG
In one case, a back-and-forth ensued between Butzin and a rail authority staffer who questioned the expenses, with the lawyer reportedly arguing that Choudri requested his presence.
uncertain
Choudri → ensue → presence
The rail authority did, however, reject one $94.39 pizza delivery order that was sent for reimbursement.
asserted
that → reject → reimbursement
Choudri, along with other staffers, appeared at a Friday meeting of the rail agency’s Board of Directors to discuss the findings in the inspector general’s audit, which examined $2 million in travel expenses from four major contractors: Law firm Nossaman LLP, KPMG, AECOM-Flour Joint Venture and SYSTRA/TYPSA Joint Venture.
asserted
which → appear → contractors
“You can’t fly first class when you’re on state travel, you don’t take an Uber black SUV,” said Elliott, a former Newsom deputy chief of staff.
asserted
Elliott → fly → staff
A statement from the High Speed Rail Authority didn’t directly address the unexplained trips, but claimed the agency is updating its internal cost controls.
asserted
agency → address → controls
Staffers at the Friday meeting vowed to recover the misspent taxpayer money.
asserted
Staffers → vow → money
“As an agency entrusted with stewarding public resources, the Authority is reinforcing its travel approval and reimbursement processes to ensure every consultant trip is appropriate, justified and fully compliant with state policy,” rail spokesperson Daniela Contreras said in an email.
asserted
Contreras → entrust → email
“Only travel that is pre‑approved, within contract scope and consistent with state regulations will be eligible for reimbursement,” Contreras said.
asserted
Contreras → say → reimbursement
The Aporia
