High-speed rail CEO on leave after news of arrest on suspicion of domestic battery

SACRAMENTO — The head of California’s High-Speed Rail Authority took a voluntary leave Tuesday after news reports circulated about his recent arrest on suspicion of domestic battery against his spouse.

Ian Choudri was arrested Feb. 4 at his home in Folsom in Sacramento County.

The rail authority said in a statement Tuesday that Choudri agreed to take a temporary leave to allow its board of directors and the California State Transportation Agency to review and assess the situation.

Choudri’s attorney referred to the leave as a “short absence” and told The Times that his client planned to return to his post, pointing out that prosecutors declined to file charges in the case.

“While my client appreciates that this legal matter has been thoroughly evaluated, his family needs time to privately process and heal,” attorney Allen Sawyer said. “Ian has requested a few days off from the board to attend to this matter. He remains committed to his work, and this short absence will also give the board space to independently review the conclusions of the legal process.”

In a statement, the Sacramento County district attorney’s office confirmed that prosecutors declined to file charges based on insufficient evidence.

“Our office takes all allegations of domestic violence incredibly serious, regardless of who the suspect is or what position they hold in our community,” a spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office said in an email Tuesday.

The spokesperson confirmed police arrested Choudri and a woman, but that officers did not observe or note any injuries in either of them. Officers were also unable to determine who was the alleged “dominant aggressor” in the incident, according to the statement.

“This matter is over and no further action will be taken,” Sawyer said about the arrest.

Choudri is among the highest-paid state employees in California, having earned $563,000 last year, according to payroll records obtained by The Times from the state controller’s office.

The High-Speed Rail Authority did not answer a question about whether Choudri would receive pay during his absence.

The board of directors is scheduled to meet next on March 4.

The day before his arrest, Choudri had appeared with Gov. Gavin Newsom in Kern County to announce the completion of a 150-acre facility that would serve as a hub for construction of the high-speed rail project in the San Joaquin Valley.

California’s grand vision for a bullet train, originally intended to connect San Francisco and Los Angeles, has become a flash point in national politics.

President Trump and Republicans have seized on the billions of dollars in cost overruns and slow progress to cast the project as a Democratic boondoggle and waste of taxpayer money.

Newsom, eager to show some advancement before he leaves office, has refocused construction on building a segment from Merced to Bakersfield. His office said earlier this month that 119 miles were under construction and 58 structures, including bridges, overpasses and viaducts, have been completed.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority’s Board of Directors approved Choudri as chief executive in August 2024. Newsom praised the decision and commended Choudri’s more than 30 years of experience in the transportation sector.

Choudri replaced former CEO Brian Kelly, who retired. Choudri joined the agency from HNTB Corp., an infrastructure design firm where he previously held the position of senior vice president.

Choudri did not respond to requests for comment. Newsom’s office directed questions to the High-Speed Rail Authority.