Ontario Councilman Alan Wapner's $184,997 Airport Travel Bill Sparks New Limits
Records show Wapner took 72 trips over five years, a sum 64 times higher than his board colleagues, prompting new bylaws and an internal audit.
By Marco Graham ·
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. These figures emerged from records released under the California Public Records Act. Wapner served on the authority's board until his recent removal from the committee.
Over a five-year period, Wapner reported 132 trips across five public agencies. The total cost for his travel across these bodies reached $283,630. Beyond the airport authority, the other four boards reimbursed him for a combined $98,632 in expenses.
The airport authority's expenditure on Wapner's travel was 64 times greater than the total travel costs for the other four board members. Board president Ron Loveridge received $2,865 for travel during the same period. The remaining three board members did not request any travel reimbursement.
Wapner traveled to destinations including Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, the Bahamas, Istanbul, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and Madrid. He also made repeated visits to Hawaii. In January 2023, he submitted a claim of $8,939.40 for a 17-day conference in Maui. This expense included a $7,000 rental for a three-bedroom house in Lahaina. In April 2026, a trip to Rio de Janeiro with his wife cost $14,325. A September 2025 trip to Hong Kong totaled $12,701, with airfare accounting for $7,437 of that amount.
Wapner defended the expenditures in an email, stating that his travel was necessary for him 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. Loveridge noted that the spending complied with authority rules at the time. He explained that commissioners were unaware of the trips because Wapner did not report back to the full board. Loveridge also clarified 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.
The FBI searched Wapner's Ontario home on July 28. Agents also searched the residences or offices of Supervisor Curt Hagman, attorney Frank Lizarraga, and others connected to businessman James Su. Subpoenas were issued to Ontario International Airport and Ontario City Hall. As of October 22, no charges have been publicly filed against those whose properties were 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.
On September 24, the airport board approved bylaw changes to control future spending. Monthly stipends are now capped at $1,000. Members are limited to one domestic conference per year and one international conference every other year. Each trip requires advance approval. Spousal travel expenses can no longer be paid by the authority. On October 19, the board voted to establish an internal auditing program that includes a full-time auditor.
Wapner described the new rules as scapegoating, arguing that travel was a budget line item that members could have questioned earlier. Costs for his other board seats 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.
