{"id":2682588,"date":"2026-10-13T07:49:53","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T11:49:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaigna-california-scandal-reveals-how-the-state-is-governed-under-single-party-democrat-rule\/"},"modified":"2026-10-13T07:50:56","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T11:50:56","slug":"utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaigna-california-scandal-reveals-how-the-state-is-governed-under-single-party-democrat-rule","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaigna-california-scandal-reveals-how-the-state-is-governed-under-single-party-democrat-rule\/","title":{"rendered":"CA Scandal Reveals How It&#8217;s Governed Under Single-Party Rule"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Futm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaigna-california-scandal-reveals-how-the-state-is-governed-under-single-party-democrat-rule%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2682588&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article highlights ongoing issues of mismanagement and abuse of taxpayer funds within California\u2019s High-Speed Rail Authority and other government agencies. it reports that consultants involved in the bullet train project indulged in extravagant and unallowable expenses, including trips to gyms, nightclubs, and luxury travel, wiht some flights paid for in first class without proper oversight. Although the board recently limited the CEO\u2019s ability to approve contracts and announced measures to improve financial discipline,critics question the timing and effectiveness of these reforms,as the project has been in progress since 2015 with little tangible progress. Similar concerns exist in agencies like LAHSA, which continues to struggle with accountability and transparency despite decades of operation and <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >recent audits revealing large sums<\/a> of untracked spending. the article portrays California\u2019s government institutions as prone to waste and inefficiency, frequently enough responding to scandals with superficial procedural changes rather than meaningful reform.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>You can abuse taxpayer funds, but be warned: You won\u2019t get away with it for more than a decade or two. <\/p>\n<p>Last month, the inspector general for California\u2019s High-Speed Rail Authority <a href=\"https:\/\/hsr.ca.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Investigation_-Allegations-of-Wasteful-and-Unallowable-Travel-Expenses-for-Contracted-Consultants.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a> that consultants on the state\u2019s much-delayed bullet train project had used hundreds of thousands of dollars in state funds to <a href=\"https:\/\/calmatters.org\/politics\/2026\/09\/california-high-speed-rail-travel-expenses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">pay for<\/a> \u201ctrips to gyms, a nightclub, an escape room, a tiki bar and a cigar lounge.\u201d Traveling on taxpayer dollars, consultants also \u201cflew first-class and were reimbursed without questioning, in violation of contracts and state policies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Last week, accountability arrived. Well, sort of. In an October 9 <a href=\"https:\/\/hsr.ca.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Final-Board-Meeting-Agenda-Special-October-Meeting-A11Y.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">special meeting<\/a>, the board that oversees the High-Speed Rail Authority <a href=\"https:\/\/calmatters.org\/politics\/2026\/10\/california-high-speed-rail-board-contracts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sharply limited<\/a> the ability of CEO Ian Choudri to personally approve contracts on the project.<\/p>\n<p>If you dig into the details, though, the <em>accountability<\/em> part becomes fuzzier. Board member Lynn Schenk said she was outraged to learn about the improper use of public funds. Also,\u00a0Schenk has served on the oversight board since 2003. Read these details from a report on the news website CalMatters carefully:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Board member Henry Perea suggested the travel payments are so egregious that the state should end its contract with the firms right away, something Gov. Gavin Newsom has also floated. However, Perea said he worried that doing so could set back the long-delayed rail project even further.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d terminate these four (contracts) tomorrow or today, but I understand there\u2019s a question of operational needs that we have with these folks,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>These contractors have abused us in an outrageous manner, and what a shame it is that they\u2019re going to continue serving as our contractors.<\/p>\n<p>Also, as CalMatters put it, \u201cthe board did not grill the authority\u2019s top executives for failing to catch the behavior.\u201d Money was misspent, so don\u2019t do that again. Anyway, <em>moving on<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n<p>At the board meeting, Choudri <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/EytanWallace\/status\/2108648326237446290\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">walked away<\/a> from reporters who tried to ask him questions. In a state with frequently complicit and docile legacy media, California journalists are pursuing this story with considerable seriousness, prompting state officials to run and hide.<\/p>\n<p>But you can watch Choudri\u2019s statement to the board, and this is where things get especially interesting. <\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<blockquote data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<div lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<p>As promised in the below thread, I am posting the full prepared remarks from CA High-Speed Rail Authority CEO Ian Choudri from today&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/CaHSRA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@CaHSRA<\/a> High-Speed Rail Board meeting. <\/p>\n<p>While Choudri did not take questions from reporters, I am sharing his full remarks to ensure fair\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/vaSXMkdafa\">https:\/\/t.co\/vaSXMkdafa<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/UGlicFQR0M\">pic.twitter.com\/UGlicFQR0M<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u2014 Eytan Wallace (@EytanWallace) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/EytanWallace\/status\/2108716715421114529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 10, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Choudri described a series of new steps the High-Speed Rail Authority is taking to ensure that public funds are spent appropriately. \u201cTo further strengthen fiscal discipline,\u201d he told the board, \u201cthe authority has enhanced internal controls through its review process, updated consultant travel requirements \u2013\u00a0that\u2019s already done \u2013\u00a0and revised our training materials for our own staff and for consultants. It also implemented additional oversight measures to ensure all expenses meet state standards.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The California High-Speed Rail Authority was created in 1996, and its project was approved by the state\u2019s voters in a 2008 referendum. Active construction began in 2015. In 2026, with no trains and no track in place, the officials who oversee the project are working to implement new internal controls to prevent waste.<\/p>\n<p>This week, The Federalist asked the High-Speed Rail Authority to explain specifically why new financial controls were just being created in 2026 for a project that by any measure began more than a decade ago. The response from a media relations manager just restated the things Choudri had already said: \u201cTo further strengthen fiscal discipline, the Authority has enhanced internal controls through its review process, and updated consultant travel requirements, and revised our training materials.\u201d Their response to a question about the CEO\u2019s statement was to repeat the CEO\u2019s statement.<\/p>\n<p>This is California, and you can find versions of this story everywhere you look. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lahsa.org\/about\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">created in<\/a> 1993. This August, with a LAHSA contractor agreeing to plead guilty to federal fraud charges and several others <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/two-defendants-employed-la-area-homeless-nonprofits-arrested-federal-charges-alleging-misuse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">awaiting trial<\/a>, the agency <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lahsa.org\/news?article=1081-lahsa-announces-immediate-and-long-term-reforms-following-kpmg-review\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">announced<\/a> that it was reviewing a new report it had commissioned from an accounting firm to figure out how to \u201cstrengthen its financial practices.\u201d Imagine a private sector company announcing in its fourth decade of doing business that it was trying to figure out how to really nail down its basic accounting practices.<\/p>\n<p>As I\u2019ve <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/09\/09\/homelessness-non-profits-are-killing-los-angeles\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">written before<\/a>, the City of Los Angeles took over a functioning motel in 2020 and turned it over to to a homeless services non-profit to be converted into long-term housing for the homeless. In 2026, it\u2019s empty and gutted:<\/p>\n<figure><\/figure>\n<p>A couple of years ago, California\u2019s state auditor <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/sanfrancisco\/news\/california-homelessness-spending-audit-24b-five-years-didnt-consistently-track-outcomes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reviewed<\/a> $24 billion in recent state funding for homeless services, concluding that they weren\u2019t really sure where all the money had gone or what the spending had accomplished.<\/p>\n<p>California government: Money is spent. No one is quite sure where or for what. Some hints appear about cocktails and first-class airline tickets. New procedures are implemented. Nothing much gets done.<\/p>\n<p>You can have this kind of government for the whole country, if you want to elect California officials to national office.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Chris Bray is a senior correspondent at The Federalist and a former infantry sergeant in the U.S. Army. He has a history PhD from the University of California Los Angeles, not that it did him any good. He also posts on Substack, at &#8220;Tell Me How This Ends,&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/chrisbray.substack.com\/\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Taxpayer funds misused; accountability delayed in California rail<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2086,"featured_media":2682589,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/choudri-runs-scaled.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[37666,32690,36154,36263,87123],"class_list":["post-2682588","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-california-politics","tag-government-transparency","tag-political-corruption","tag-political-scandals","tag-single-party-governance"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/choudri-runs-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2682588","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2086"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2682588"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2682588\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2682592,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2682588\/revisions\/2682592"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2682589"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2682588"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2682588"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2682588"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}