SACRAMENTO, Calif. (FOX26) — California’s high-speed rail project is facing new scrutiny after the Office of the Inspector General found the California High-Speed Rail Authority paid more than half a million dollars in improper travel expenses for private consultants, including international flights and trips to entertainment venues.
The inspector general’s findings said the authority improperly paid for consultant rideshare trips to locations that included a Planet Fitness gym, an escape room, a nightclub, a tiki bar, and a sushi restaurant in Denver, Colorado.
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The report also cited rideshare trips to restaurants in Folsom, California, a cigar lounge in Washington, D.C., and various private residences in Sacramento, Folsom, and Walnut Creek in California, as well as Washington, D.C.
Overall, the report identified $624,400 in travel payments that appeared to have been improper or avoidable.
That total included $81,000 that was potentially unallowable under state travel rules and $543,400 that was not allowable under the consultants’ contracts.
