High-speed Rail Leader On Leave After News Of Arrest For Suspicion Of Domestic Battery

SACRAMENTO — The caput of California’s High-Speed Rail Authority took a voluntary time off Tuesday aft news reports circulated astir his recent apprehension for suspicion of home battery against a spouse.

Ian Choudri was arrested Feb. 4 astatine his Folsom location successful nan 500 artifact of Borges Court.

The authority said successful a connection Tuesday that Choudri agreed to return a impermanent time off to let its committee of board and nan California State Transportation Agency to reappraisal and measure nan situation.

Choudri’s lawyer said Monday that nan Sacramento territory attorney’s agency declined to record charges successful nan case. Police were called to Choudri’s location by a third-party, Choudri’s lawyer told The Times.

“This matter is complete and nary further action will beryllium taken,” said Allen Sawyer, who is representing Choudri.

The Sacramento territory attorney’s agency did not respond to a petition for comment.

Choudri is among nan highest-paid authorities labor successful California, having earned $563,000 past year, according to payroll records obtained by The Times from nan authorities controller’s office.

The High Speed Rail Authority did not reply a mobility astir whether Choudri would person salary during his absence.

The committee of board is scheduled to meet adjacent connected March 4.

The time earlier his arrest, Choudri had appeared pinch Gov. Gavin Newsom successful Kern County to denote nan completion of a 150-acre installation that would service arsenic a hub for building of nan high-speed obstruction task successful San Joaquin Valley.

California’s expansive imagination for a slug train, primitively to link San Francisco to Los Angeles, has go a flash constituent successful nationalist politics.

President Donald Trump and Republicans person seized connected nan billions of dollars successful costs overruns and slow advancement to formed nan task arsenic a Democratic boondoggle and discarded of payer money.

Newsom, eager to show immoderate advancement earlier he leaves office, has refocused building connected building a conception from Merced to Bakersfield. His agency said earlier this period that 119 miles were nether building and 58 structures, including bridges, overpasses, and viaducts, person been completed.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority’s Board of Directors approved Choudri arsenic CEO successful August 2024. Newsom praised nan determination and commended his much than 30 years of acquisition successful nan proscription sector.

Choudri replaced erstwhile CEO Brian Kelly, who retired. Choudri joined nan agency from HNTB Corp., an infrastructure creation patient wherever he antecedently held nan position of elder vice president.

Choudri did not respond to requests for comment. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s agency directed questions to nan High Speed Rail Authority.