Ontario Board Cuts Travel After Member Claims $184,997 for 72 Trips

Alan Wapner, a former Ontario International Airport Authority board member, billed the agency $184,997 for 72 trips between March 2021 and June 2026. Public records obtained under the California Public Records Act show that Wapner’s expenses for this single agency far outpaced those of his peers.

Across five different agencies where he held seats, Wapner reported 132 trips over the same five-year period. The agencies combined to pay him $283,630 for travel. The airport authority’s portion of that total was 64 times greater than the amount reimbursed to the other four airport board members combined. Board president Ron Loveridge received $2,865 for travel during the period, while the other three members requested no reimbursement.

Wapner’s trips included destinations such as Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, the Bahamas, Istanbul, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and Madrid. He also made repeated visits to Hawaii. In January 2023, he claimed $8,939.40 for a 17-day conference in Maui. That bill 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 cost $12,701, with airfare alone accounting for $7,437.

In an email, Wapner defended the spending as necessary for his effectiveness. He stated that the trips were not junkets and provided access to airline executives, concession operators, and federal officials. Loveridge said the spending met authority rules at the time but that commissioners were unaware of the trips because Wapner did not report back to the full board. Loveridge also noted the money came from airport revenue rather than tax dollars. Separately, Wapner earned approximately $250,000 in meeting stipends from the authority over the past decade, nearly double the amount paid to Supervisor Curt Hagman.

The airport board responded with stricter financial controls. On September 24, it approved bylaw changes that cap monthly stipends at $1,000. The rules now limit members to one domestic conference per year and one international conference every other year, each requiring advance approval. Spouse travel can no longer be covered by the agency. On October 19, the board voted to create an internal auditing program that includes a full-time auditor.

Wapner criticized the new rules, calling it scapegoating. He argued that travel was a budget line item that members could have questioned. 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 sent to Ontario International Airport and Ontario City Hall. What investigators sought is not publicly known. As of October 22, no charges have 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. His other travel costs 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 described personal profit from public service as the definition of corruption and called for clear rules and public scrutiny.