Denham: USDOT inspector general to audit California high-speed rail project

U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.) chairs the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials.

Photo – Congress.gov

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General has agreed to an audit of California’s high-speed rail project, U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.) announced yesterday.

The office agreed to action after Denham requested in December 2017 that it look into the project’s “continued cost overruns” and a timeline that has grown over the years.

“The continued mismanagement and skyrocketing costs are unacceptable. Taxpayers deserve to know how their money is being spent,” said Denham in a press release. “I will continue to provide aggressive oversight and stop all federal funding.”

Denham noted that the project was estimated to cost $33 billion at the time California voters approved it in 2008. Since then, the project’s original route has been scaled back while costs have increased to $77 billion.