Breaking News: Attorney General Bonta Quietly Drops Lawsuit In Defense of Governor Newsom’s High Speed Rail Train Wreck

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🕒 4.5 minute read

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California Walks Away From Its Own Defense

California has quietly ended its lawsuit against the Trump administration over canceled federal funding for high-speed rail, giving up on a legal fight that once intended to recover billions for a project already deep in debt. The timing stands out. Dropping the suit during the holiday season, when people are less focused, seems more convenient than accidental. In practical terms, this decision ends California’s effort to make Washington keep funding a bullet train that federal officials found to be years behind schedule, far over budget, and not meeting grant requirements after a formal review.

Attorney General Rob Bonta, acting on behalf of Governor Gavin Newsom, moved to dismiss the case after the Federal Railroad Administration terminated roughly $4 billion in unspent federal grants. While state officials initially portrayed the funding cut as political retaliation, the withdrawal of the lawsuit suggests a quieter reality: the case was not winnable. The California High-Speed Rail Authority now says it no longer considers the federal government a reliable funding partner and plans to look elsewhere — including private investment — rather than carry on the legal fight.

Translation: They realized they would lose in court…

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🔒 This analysis continues below for paid subscribers.

Here’s the key point before the paywall: California has dropped a lawsuit it once called essential, gained nothing, and left the problems that caused federal officials to end funding unresolved.

Inside the paid section:

• Why ending the lawsuit now avoids damaging courtroom scrutiny

• How federal auditors undercut the project’s credibility

• What voters were promised — and what they actually received

• Why the Central Valley “starter line” changes little

• What this debacle means for Gavin Newsom as he courts swing voters throughout the nation

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