California high-speed rail CEO goes on leave after arrest

The incident is the latest controversy for a highly scrutinized project that has long been a regular target of the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers.

The Federal Railroad Administration last year canceled $4 billion in Obama- and Biden-era grants earmarked for the planned rail line connecting Los Angeles and the Bay Area, after accusing the project of mismanagement.

The project is now estimated to cost up to $128 billion, nearly four times its original $33 billion price tag.

The development comes after the Folsom Police Department confirmed Monday that Choudri and his fiancée, Lyudmyla Starostyuk, were arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor battery after an unidentified person called 911 and accused Starostyuk of pulling a minor’s hair and locking them out of their home.

The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office declined to press charges.

The incident happened the day after Choudri joined Gov. Gavin Newsom in the southern Central Valley to announce the completion of a new logistics facility that will be the starting point for laying tracks. Spokespeople for the governor did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The agency did not say how long it anticipates the internal investigation to take.