LOS ANGELES — The chief executive of the California's High Speed Rail Authority abruptly resigned late Wednesday amid intensifying scrutiny over cost overruns, project delays and wasteful expenses.

In a letter to authority executives Ian Choudri cited "personal and family priorities" for his decision to step down. Board chair Steve Kawa announced that the state's department of finance director, Joe Stephenshaw, has been named the interim CEO.

Kawa said Choudri's resignation "reflects the board's commitment to accountability and transparency, consistent with the governor's mandate under new board leadership at the authority."

"Californians deserve a project they can trust," he said.

Choudri took over in 2024. Under his watch, the project lost billions of dollars in federal funding after Republican lawmakers called for an investigation into the project and a monthslong review found "no viable path" forward for the project.

More recently, the authority's inspector general reported that the authority approved hundreds of thousands of dollars in wasteful travel expenses for four consulting firms. Expenses included trips to an escape room and a cigar lounge.

As questions emerged over Choudri's involvement in the approvals, the board voted to diminish his power. Earlier this month, he was stripped of his authority to sign and manage contracts up to $25 million. And Assembly member Alexandra Macedo, R-Tulare, who represents a district where construction is underway, called on the board to terminate the CEO.

Hours before Choudri's resignation, California Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra told Sacramento-area TV station KCRA-3 that if elected, he would remove Choudri from his position.

Becerra's rival, GOP gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, has said he would cancel the high-speed rail project entirely if he was elected. The much-delayed project could also prove to be a political liability for Gov. Gavin Newsom should he decided to run for president in 2028.

Following the resignation, the Senate Transportation Committee's vice chair said the authority should kill the project.

"Instead of reshuffling the chairs on the Titanic, it's time to pull the plug on the high-speed fail and deliver immediate relief to struggling Californians paying the nation's highest gas taxes. Californians deserve accountability, not another revolving door of leadership," Sen. Tony Strickland, R-Huntington Beach, said in a statement.

Earlier this year, Choudri was arrested on suspicion of domestic battery. He took a voluntary leave while the authority assessed the situation and later returned to his post. The Sacramento County district attorney's office declined to file charges, citing insufficient evidence.

Choudri arrived at the high-speed rail project from infrastructure design firm HNTB Corp. He has more than 30 years of experience in the transportation field.

His resignation was announced hours before the rail authority board approved the environment clearance for the last 33-mile leg of the route from Anaheim to Los Angeles.

The board's action clears the entire route from Anaheim to San Francisco for construction, though most of the nearly 500-mile route remains unfunded.

The $8.8 billion leg from L.A. to Anaheim is the final section in the project's first phase.

But work is still isolated to a 119-mile portion of the Central Valley, and there is no construction date set to start elsewhere on the line. The train is more than 30 years behind schedule and more than $100 billion beyond its original budget.

This latest portion would connect from Anaheim near Angel Stadium to Los Angeles Union Station, traveling through Fullerton, Buena Park, La Mirada, Santa Fe Springs, Norwalk, Pico Rivera, Vernon, Commerce, Bell, Montebello and unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County.

During public comment the day before the vote, several community members from Vernon voiced opposition to the project and shared concerns that it would hurt the city's economy and raise environmental issues.

"The project threatens 37 businesses and more than 1,200 jobs," said Marisa Olguin, the president and chief executive of the Vernon Chamber of Commerce. "It really puts the expense of a job-producing community that remains critical to the region's economic vitality, infrastructure, and public safety."

High Speed Rail Authority board member Martha Escutia also questioned environmental risks for the project.

"When we're dealing with these communities, whether it's from Commerce all the way down to Buena Park, we're talking here about a quarter of cities that have traditionally been victims of a lot of environmental degradation," she said during Wednesday's meeting.

During the two-day meeting, the board also approved a contract with Siemens Mobility to design and manufacture three high-speed trainsets.

Thursday's meeting ended with remarks from board vice chair Anthony Williams, who credited Choudri for moving the project forward.

"He did pick up the baton at a tough, tough time in this project. And despite you know some challenges that we've all faced, we moved this project forward, and he laid a foundation," Williams said.

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