When the California High-Speed Rail Authority awarded a $24 million contract to KPMG, newly obtained records indicate it knew the consulting giant intended to charge more than its unusually low bid for high-level positions.

KPMG's winning bid proposed an average hourly rate of roughly $200, but records reviewed by CBS California show its billed average rate was more than double that.

KPMG did not deny the findings; instead, a spokesperson stressed that California High-Speed Rail had been aware of its plan:

"KPMG's bid in December 2024 detailed the people who would work on the engagement, their job classifications aligned to the state's definitions, and the associated billing rate for each person."

The impact?…