A Central Valley lawmaker is demanding the resignation of California’s embattled High Speed Rail CEO Ian Choudri after a domestic violence arrest and conflict-of-interest questions surrounding the fast rail boondoggle — calling his continued leadership an “insult” to taxpayers in a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“Given his arrest and the allegations against him, Mr. Choudri’s continued tenure would irreparably damage the public’s trust in their government,” wrote Rep. Alexandra Macedo, who represents parts of the San Joaquin Valley that overlap with the troubled project.
Choudri has been on leave since last week after it was revealed that he was arrested over a domestic violence dispute involcing his fiancée and teenage daughter — just hours after he appeared at a press conference with Newsom touting the completion of a 150-acre construction facility meant to help accelerate the project.
“Mr. Choudri was hired by and reports directly to the California High-Speed Rail Authority Board,” Newsom’s office said in a statement.
Choudri is on temporary administrative leave as the rail authority’s board and the California State Transportation Agency conduct a review. Newsom’s office is awaiting the completion of that review before commenting further.
Officials told KCRA that Choudri is using paid time off for his leave.
“The recent arrest of your hand-picked CEO Ian Choudri for domestic violence, in a case that reportedly involved abuse of a child, coupled with alarming details regarding financial ties between his fiancée and a key contractor, makes his continued leadership not only untenable, but also an insult to every taxpayer in the Central Valley and throughout the State of California,” Macedo wrote in the letter dated Feb. 25.
Choudri is not facing any charges in the Feb. 4 incident that occurred at his home in Folsom.
The rail exec, who was appointed in August 2024, allegedly tried to intervene in a fight between fiancée Lyudmyla “Mila” Starostyuk and his teenage daughter.
A neighbor called police just before midnight after seeing Choudri, Starostyuk and the girl arguing in their front yard, according to people familiar with the incident. The 57-year-old allegedly tried to step in but was later arrested on suspicion of domestic battery.
Newsom confirmed at a press conference last week that Choudri is under investigation for not only the Feb. 4 incident but conflict of interest allegations surrounding Starostyuk’s work.
Starostyuk was hired last month by KPMG, the accounting services firm that has a $24 million contract with High Speed Rail, according to her LinkedIn.
“The board is going to appropriately investigate not only the issues that were brought to light but some of these broader issues as well,” the governor said at a public transportation-related news conference in the Bay Area,” Newsom said at a Feb. 19 press conference in the Bay Area.
Choudri’s attorney said Starostyuk’s work is unrelated to the rail project, according to KCRA.
“Ms. Starostyuk’s position is not affiliated with the high speed rail authority or any other rail authority in any capacity. Her role at her job is unrelated and concerns a completely different sector of business,” Choudri’s attorney Allen Sawyer said in a statement.
