Ontario Councilman Reimbursed $185,000 for Airport Travel

Alan Wapner, a member of the Ontario City Council, billed the Ontario International Airport Authority $184,997 for 72 trips between March 2021 and June 2026. Records released under the California Public Records Act detail the charges incurred while Wapner served on the authority’s board. The total cost for his travel across five public agencies over the same five-year period reached $283,630.

The airport authority reimbursement was $184,997, while the other four boards paid a combined $98,632. Wapner’s charges from the airport authority alone were 64 times the total reimbursement received by the other three board members. Board president Ron Loveridge received $2,865 for travel between 2021 and 2026. The remaining three members did not request reimbursement during that period.

Trips funded by the airport authority included destinations in Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, the Bahamas, Istanbul, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and Madrid. Wapner also made repeated visits to Hawaii. In January 2023, he charged $8,939.40 for a 17-day conference trip to Maui. This amount included a $7,000 rental for a three-bedroom house in Lahaina. His wife accompanied him on several trips, including a journey to Rio de Janeiro in April 2026 that cost $14,325. A September 2025 trip to Hong Kong totaled $12,701, with airfare accounting for $7,437.

Wapner defended the expenses in an email, stating that the travel was necessary to be effective in his position. He asserted that none of the trips were junkets and that they provided access to airline executives, concession operators, and federal officials. He noted that these individuals make decisions affecting airport growth.

Loveridge said the spending met authority rules at the time but that other commissioners were unaware of the trips. Wapner did not report back to the full board, so members did not know the frequency or cumulative cost. Loveridge added that the funds came from airport revenue rather than tax dollars. Wapner earned approximately $250,000 in meeting stipends from the authority over the past decade. This amount was nearly double the stipends paid to Supervisor Curt Hagman.

The FBI searched Wapner’s Ontario home on July 28. Agents also searched the homes or offices of Hagman, attorney Frank Lizarraga, and others tied to businessman James Su. Subpoenas were issued to Ontario International Airport and Ontario City Hall. It is not publicly known what investigators sought. As of October 22, no charges had been filed against those searched.

The City Council removed Wapner from all committee appointments, including the airport board. He has dropped his planned mayoral run and is seeking another term on the council, where he has served since 1994. The airport board approved bylaw changes on September 24 that cap monthly stipends at $1,000. Members are now limited to one domestic conference a year and one international conference every other year, requiring advance approval. Spouses’ travel can no longer be paid for.

The board voted on October 19 to create an internal auditing program, including a full-time auditor. Wapner said the board was scapegoating him and that travel was a budget line item that members could have questioned. Costs for his other boards included $62,855 from the City of Ontario, $17,578 from Omnitrans, $12,574 from the Southern California Association of Governments, and $5,625 from the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority.

Catherine Lhamon of UC Berkeley’s Edley Center on Law and Democracy stated that personal profit from public service is the definition of corruption. She called for clear rules and public scrutiny of officials.