Expense receipts reviewed by CBS News show consultants working on the California High-Speed Rail project billed taxpayers for late-night Lyft rides originating from CEO Ian Choudri’s private residence in Folsom, California. The records span from September 2024 through January 2026 and include nearly 6,000 pages of invoices and expense claims submitted by KPMG and the Nossaman law firm.
Consultants and Late-Night Travel Patterns
Denver attorney Brent Butzin and KPMG managing director Thierry Prate submitted expense claims for multiple Lyft rides to and from the CEO’s Folsom home and nearby restaurants and bars. A dozen rides were billed to or from the small residential street where
Choudri lives. Another dozen trips were to establishments in a shopping center near Land Ocean Steak House in Folsom, about 30 minutes from Sacramento. Several rides involved pickups after 1 a.m.
Investigation and Whistleblower Disclosure
The expense claims surfaced following an investigation by California’s independent High-Speed Rail inspector general, who identified widespread failures in consultant travel oversight. Whistleblowers provided CBS News with underlying documents. The inspector general’s report described pressure from the CEO’s office influencing travel expense approvals and documented failures to ensure adequate justification for trips.
Examples of Specific Trips and Expenses
Prate’s expense records include a $94.39 Uber Eats pizza delivery to the CEO’s Folsom home from a
local restaurant; this charge was disputed and ultimately not paid by taxpayers. Late-night rides also extended beyond California. In May 2025, both Prate and Butzin billed travel to Washington, D.C., for the High Speed Rail 2025 conference, where CEO Choudri was scheduled to speak on May 14. Prate expensed late-night Lyft rides totaling about $60 between the Mayflower Hotel and a cigar lounge after midnight.
Butzin billed over $1,300 for the May 13-16 conference trip but did not include receipts. Several of Butzin’s expense reports described trips as “Meetings at CHSRA in Sacramento,” while attached receipts indicated destinations in Folsom.
Project Spending and Authority Responses
The California High-Speed Rail project has spent more than $15 billion without completing a mile of high-speed rail track, recently losing $4 billion in federal funding after missing deadlines. The authority pays over a quarter billion dollars to four consulting contractors across two fiscal years. Butzin’s hourly travel pay reached approximately $86,500 alone.
The High-Speed Rail Authority responded by tightening travel oversight, updating reimbursement rules, and requiring new training for consultants and contract managers before approving travel expenses. An official statement said: “Only travel that is pre-approved, within contract scope and consistent with state regulations will be eligible for reimbursement.”
KPMG stated it is reviewing the travel expenses and will reimburse as appropriate. Russ Grote, KPMG Managing Director of Corporate Affairs, said, “KPMG takes seriously its obligations regarding the accurate submission of expenses and KPMG professionals are expected to be responsible stewards of client and firm resources.”
Questions Remain on Authorization and Oversight
Despite documents showing frequent consultant trips tied to the CEO’s home and to nearby restaurants, the business purpose, meeting participants, and CEO involvement remain unclear. The inspector general found the Authority repeatedly failed to document whether travel met state requirements for legitimate business reasons. The CEO declined to respond to questions from CBS
News regarding the late-night rides.
Internal emails described some rides as “related to work with Ian.” The investigation revealed that contract managers felt pressured to approve travel based on CEO requests even without proper documentation.
Concerns Over Consultant Influence and Governance
Sources inside the High-Speed Rail Authority indicated the inspector general’s findings reflect broader governance challenges, including consultant influence over project decisions and costs. The authority’s watchdog warned the project could run out of money by the end of 2027. These expense claims raise questions about accountability and whether travel expenses were appropriately scrutinized before taxpayer funds were spent.
