The head of the California High-Speed Rail Authority has been cleared to return to work, members of the board of directors said following a closed session meeting on Wednesday.
CEO Ian Choudri, 57, was arrested in Folsom last month on suspicion of domestic battery following a disturbance call to his home. The Sacramento district attorney declined to file criminal charges.
Few additional details have been released to the public, and the Feb. 4 arrest does not appear in Folsom police logs. Even so, Choudri was placed on administrative leave after KCRA and other news outlets – including the Chronicle — reported the incident on Feb. 16.
Allen Sawyer, the criminal defense attorney Choudri hired to handle the matter, said he recommended his client keep it under wraps, despite Choudri’s wish to disclose the situation to colleagues “immediately.”
Looking back, Sawyer said he realized his advice may have been “misguided.”
“Based on the information available to me at the time, I believed he (Choudri) had done nothing wrong,” Sawyer told the Chronicle. “Given my experience as a criminal defense attorney, I was also mindful that facts can be mischaracterized or misconstrued.”
In the end, the attorney said, “he (Choudri) was right. I was wrong.”
Board directors at the Rail Authority discussed an independent legal review of the arrest during their meeting Wednesday and decided that Choudri could resume his position on Thursday.
“The board met in closed session and completed its review of the independent counsel investigation to consider all available information regarding the matter concerning CEO Ian Choudri,” board chair Tom Richards said. “The board requests Mr. Choudri return to work tomorrow, March 5.”
This article originally published at CEO of California High-Speed Rail cleared to return to work after arrest.