Airport Board Slashes Member Travel After $184,997 Claim

The Ontario International Airport Authority now prohibits members from using funds for their spouses' travel. This change followed the release of records showing councilman Alan Wapner billed the agency $184,997 for 72 trips between March 2021 and June 2026. The new bylaws also limit members to one domestic conference annually and one international conference every two years, requiring advance approval for each.

Wapner served on the authority's board until recently. According to documents released under the California Public Records Act, his reimbursement was 64 times higher than the total amount paid to the other four board members during the same period. Board president Ron Loveridge received $2,865 for travel, while the remaining three members did not request reimbursement. The authority funded trips to destinations including Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, Istanbul, and Amsterdam.

Specific expenses raised questions during the review. In January 2023, Wapner charged $8,939.40 for a 17-day trip to Maui. That cost included a $7,000 rental for a three-bedroom house in Lahaina. A trip to Rio de Janeiro in April 2026 cost $14,325 and included his wife. Airfare for a September 2025 trip to Hong Kong was $7,437 out of a total expense of $12,701. Wapner stated in an email that the travel was necessary for effectiveness and denied the trips were junkets, claiming access to airline executives and federal officials was required.

Loveridge said the spending complied with rules at the time and came from airport revenue rather than tax dollars. He noted that commissioners were unaware of the frequency or cumulative cost because Wapner did not report back to the full board. Wapner argued the board was scapegoating him and that travel was a budget line item members could have questioned. He added that the trips gave him access to decision-makers affecting airport growth.

The travel was part of a larger pattern across five agencies where Wapner held seats. These bodies spent $283,630 on his travel over the five-year span. The other four boards paid a combined $98,632. The City of Ontario accounted for $62,855 of that sum. Wapner also earned approximately $250,000 in meeting stipends from the airport authority over the past decade, nearly double the amount paid to Supervisor Curt Hagman.

The spending review occurred alongside an active federal investigation. The FBI searched Wapner's 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. No charges have been filed against those searched as of October 22. The City Council removed Wapner from all committee appointments, including the airport board. He has dropped his mayoral run and is seeking another council term.

The airport board voted to create an internal auditing program on October 19. This includes hiring a full-time auditor. The move follows the September 24 approval of the new travel bylaws. Catherine Lhamon of UC Berkeley's Edley Center on Law and Democracy called for clear rules and public scrutiny, stating that personal profit from public service defines corruption.