Consultants working on the California High-Speed Rail project billed taxpayers for late-night Lyft rides to and from CEO Ian Choudri’s private residence in Folsom, California, according to expense records from September 2024 through January 2026 reviewed in a recent investigation. Denver attorney Brent Butzin of Nossaman LLP and Thierry Prate, managing director at KPMG, were two consultants named for submitting these travel expenses.
Receipts detail a dozen Lyft trips involving the CEO’s small residential street, often late at night or early morning, with two rides logged after 1 a.m. Additional trips included rides to nearby Folsom restaurants and bars, frequently
occurring after midnight. Prate’s expense reports included a $94.39 Uber Eats pizza delivery to the CEO’s home, which was disputed and rejected by the Authority, so taxpayers did not pay that bill. Other rides occurred during the High-Speed Rail 2025 conference in Washington, D.C., where Prate took multiple rides to a cigar lounge past 1 a.m. Butzin billed over $1,300 for a May 13-16, 2025 trip to attend the conference and meet industry suppliers, but did not provide receipts for those expenses.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority has spent more than $15 billion on the project but had not completed
a mile of high-speed rail track as of October 2026. The project lost $4 billion in federal funding for missed deadlines and faces the risk of running out of funding by the end of 2027. The Authority pays four major consulting contractors more than a quarter of a billion dollars across two fiscal years.
An independent Inspector General audit found widespread failings in consultant travel oversight at the Authority, highlighting the lack of documented legitimate business purposes for many trips. An internal email showed that the CEO’s office influenced travel approvals, with contract managers pressured to authorize travel because the
CEO requested it. One email from the audit report cited by the investigation said that questioning the CEO’s travel directives was discouraged, noting that other consultants “are learning the hard way.”
The High-Speed Rail Authority said it is strengthening its travel oversight by updating reimbursement rules and requiring additional training for consultants and contract managers before approving expenses. Rail spokesperson Daniela Contreras said the agency is “reinforcing its travel approval and reimbursement processes to ensure every consultant trip is appropriate, justified and fully compliant with state policy.” KPMG stated it is reviewing travel expenses and will reimburse the Authority as
appropriate. Russ Grote, KPMG’s 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.” Board member Jason Elliott, a former deputy chief of staff to Governor Gavin Newsom, commented, “You can’t fly first class when you’re on state travel, you don’t take an Uber black SUV.”
During an October 9, 2026 board meeting held shortly after the investigation’s publication, CEO Ian Choudri declined to answer questions about the late-night rides. The Authority referred media inquiries to his office, which
did not provide direct responses. Board members present did not press the CEO on the matter, although the board chair confirmed agreement that the CEO should communicate with California reporters representing taxpayers. The expense records underscore questions about the Authority’s fiscal oversight and accountability over consultant travel related to one of California’s largest public infrastructure projects.
