Airport Board Member Billed $185K

Ontario City Council member Alan Wapner billed the Ontario International Airport Authority for 72 trips totaling $184,997 between March 2021 and June 2026. Records obtained under the California Public Records Act show that Wapner, who recently left the authority's board, incurred costs that far exceeded those of his peers. His travel expenses were 64 times the amount paid to the other four board members combined during the same period.

The financial disparity is stark in the data. Board president Ron Loveridge received $2,865 for travel between 2021 and 2026. The other three members never requested reimbursement. Wapner reported 132 trips across five different agencies where he held seats, costing a combined $283,630. Apart from the airport authority, the other four boards paid him a total of $98,632. The City of Ontario paid the largest share of that remaining amount, at $62,855. Omnitrans contributed $17,578, the Southern California Association of Governments paid $12,574, and the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority provided $5,625.

Wapner’s itinerary included destinations such as Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, Istanbul, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Madrid, and the Bahamas. He also made repeated visits to Hawaii. In January 2023, he charged $8,939.40 for a 17-day conference trip to Maui. That expense included a $7,000 rental for a three-bedroom house in Lahaina. His wife accompanied him on several occasions, including a trip to Rio de Janeiro in April 2026 that cost $14,325. A September 2025 trip to Hong Kong cost $12,701, with airfare accounting for $7,437 of that total.

Wapner defended the spending in an email, stating that his travel was necessary for him to be effective in his position. He claimed that none of the trips were junkets and that they provided access to airline executives, concession operators, and federal officials. Loveridge said the spending met authority rules at the time but that commissioners did not know about the trips. Wapner did not report back to the full board, leaving other members unaware of the frequency or cumulative cost. Loveridge noted that the money came from airport revenue rather than tax dollars.

The FBI searched Wapner’s Ontario home on July 28. Agents also searched the homes or offices of Supervisor Curt Hagman, attorney Frank Lizarraga, and others tied to businessman James Su. Subpoenas were sent to Ontario International Airport and Ontario City Hall. No charges are known to have been filed as of October 22. 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.

In response, the airport board approved bylaw changes on September 24. These changes cap monthly stipends at $1,000 and limit members to one domestic conference annually and one international conference every other year. Each trip now requires advance approval. Spouses’ travel can no longer be paid for. On October 19, the board voted to create an internal auditing program that includes a full-time auditor. Wapner said the board was scapegoating him and that travel was a budget line item that members could have questioned.

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. Wapner earned about $250,000 in meeting stipends from the authority over the past decade. This amount is almost double what was paid to Hagman.