Airport Board Caps Travel After One Member's $185,000 Claim

The Ontario International Airport Authority has implemented strict new limits on member travel after records revealed that one board member was reimbursed $184,997 for 72 trips over five years. The new bylaws, approved on September 24, cap monthly stipends at $1,000 and restrict members to one domestic conference annually and one international conference every other year. These changes also prohibit the authority from paying for spouses' travel, a provision that directly addresses previous expenditures.

City Council member Alan Wapner held a seat on the airport authority board until recently. California Public Records Act documents show that between March 2021 and June 2026, the authority paid him nearly $185,000 for airfare, lodging, and other travel costs. Wapner traveled to destinations including Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, Istanbul, and Hawaii. In January 2023, he billed $8,939.40 for a 17-day conference in Maui, which included a $7,000 rental of a three-bedroom house in Lahaina. A trip to Rio de Janeiro in April 2026 cost $14,325, with his wife accompanying him.

The financial disparity within the board is stark. The other four members combined received only $2,865 in travel reimbursements during the same period. Board president Ron Loveridge stated that the spending complied with rules in effect at the time but noted that commissioners were largely unaware of the frequency and cumulative cost. Loveridge emphasized that the funds came from airport revenue rather than tax dollars. Wapner defended the expenditures in an email, arguing that the travel was necessary to access airline executives and federal officials influencing airport growth.

Wapner's total travel costs across five public agencies reached $283,630. Beyond the airport authority, the City of Ontario paid him $62,855, Omnitrans paid $17,578, the Southern California Association of Governments paid $12,574, and the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority paid $5,625. 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 review of these expenses occurs amid a federal investigation. The FBI searched Wapner's Ontario home on July 28, along with the residences or offices of Hagman, attorney Frank Lizarraga, and others linked to businessman James Su. Subpoenas were issued to the airport and Ontario City Hall. 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. He has dropped his planned mayoral run and is seeking another term on the council, where he has served since 1994.

On October 19, the airport board voted to create an internal auditing program staffed by a full-time auditor. Wapner described the new rules as an attempt to scapegoat him, noting that travel was a standard budget line item that other members could have questioned. Catherine Lhamon, a legal scholar at UC Berkeley, described the situation as personal profit from public service and called for clearer rules and public scrutiny of officials.