Ontario Official Draws Fire After Spending $185,000 on Global Board Travel
A city councilman’s extensive international travel expenses for an airport board have prompted new financial restrictions and a federal investigation.
By Harper Laurent ·
Nearly 185,000 dollars was the total amount billed by Ontario City Council member Alan Wapner to the Ontario International Airport Authority for 72 trips over a five year period. Public records released under the California Public Records Act reveal that these charges were submitted between March 2021 and June 2026. Wapner recently served on the board of this authority, which is part of a broader network of five agencies where he held seats.
The pattern of travel began in early 2021 and continued through mid 2026. During this time, Wapner accumulated a total of 132 trips across his various board memberships. The combined cost of this travel for all five agencies reached 283,630 dollars. The airport authority accounted for the largest share of this expenditure, with the other four boards collectively paying 98,632 dollars in reimbursements.
The scale of Wapner’s airport authority spending stood in sharp contrast to that of his colleagues. His 184,997 dollar total was 64 times the amount reimbursed to the other four board members combined. Board president Ron Loveridge received only 2,865 dollars for travel during the same period, while the remaining three members did not request any reimbursement at all.
The trips funded by the airport authority included destinations such as Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, the Bahamas, Istanbul, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and Madrid, along with multiple visits to Hawaii. One particularly expensive journey occurred in January 2023 when Wapner charged 8,939.40 dollars for a 17 day conference trip to Maui. This cost included a 7,000 dollar rental for a three bedroom house in Lahaina. In April 2026, a trip to Rio de Janeiro that included his wife cost 14,325 dollars, while a September 2025 visit to Hong Kong cost 12,701 dollars, with airfare alone amounting to 7,437 dollars.
Wapner defended his spending 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 claimed they provided access to airline executives, concession operators, and federal officials whose decisions influence airport growth. Loveridge agreed that the spending met the authority’s rules at the time but noted that other commissioners were unaware of the trips because Wapner did not report back to the full board. Loveridge also pointed out that the funds came from airport revenue rather than tax dollars.
In addition to travel costs, Wapner earned approximately 250,000 dollars in meeting stipends from the authority over the past decade. This amount is almost double the sum paid to Supervisor Curt Hagman. The federal investigation gained traction on July 28 when the FBI searched Wapner’s home in Ontario. Agents also searched the residences or offices of Hagman, attorney Frank Lizarraga, and others connected to businessman James Su. Subpoenas were issued to Ontario International Airport and Ontario City Hall, though the specific items sought are not public. As of October 22, no charges have been filed against those searched.
In response to the scrutiny, the City Council removed Wapner from all committee appointments, including the airport board. He has also 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 that cap monthly stipends at 1,000 dollars. The new rules limit members to one domestic conference annually and one international conference every other year, both requiring advance approval. Spousal travel can no longer be paid for by the board. On October 19, the board voted to establish an internal auditing program with a full time auditor.
Wapner argued that the board was scapegoating him and noted that travel was a budget line item that members could have questioned in the past. His other board expenses included 62,855 dollars from the City of Ontario, 17,578 dollars from Omnitrans, 12,574 dollars from the Southern California Association of Governments, and 5,625 dollars from the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority. Catherine Lhamon of UC Berkeley’s Edley Center on Law and Democracy described the situation as a form of corruption, emphasizing the need for clear rules and public scrutiny of officials.
