California Assembly Republicans are calling on Attorney General Rob Bonta to investigate illegal spending by private consultants for the High Speed Rail Authority.
The Office of the Inspector General looked into complaints regarding more than $2 million in travel expenses for several consulting firms over the past two years.
It found nearly $600,000 went towards expenses that were either not allowed under state travel regulations or the contract terms. This includes private jet travel and premium rideshare trips with no identifiable state purpose.
In a letter to Bonta, Republican Assembly leader Alexandra Macedo says the improper payments were in clear violation of the False Claims Act and is calling on him to recover up to three times the damages.
A spokesperson for the rail authority didn't respond to CapRadio's request for comment specifically about the letter, only referring to a previous statement saying it's working with the inspector general to strengthen internal controls and attempting to recover unauthorized expenses.