U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., last month sent a letter to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California in support of an investigation into the Desert Line railroad and the current lease agreement with Pacific Imperial Railroad (PIR).
Currently, the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) leases the non-operational Desert Line to PIR. A collection of evidence — now with the U.S. Attorney for review — raises serious questions and concerns about the lease agreement and PIR’s activities.
“The evidence that has accumulated against PIR and Desert Line lease is troubling,” Hunter, a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, said in a statement.
“The railroad is a public asset and anytime there are allegations or there is evidence of unlawful activity in a situation like this — it is necessary that the proper legal authority determines the facts through its ability to obtain relevant documentation and testimonial evidence,” Hunter said. “Among other things, PIR has falsified and misrepresented its assets to attract investors while the company remains on the profitable side of the lease agreement.”
