Wapner's $185,000 Travel Bill Sparks New Airport Caps

Ontario airport board members now face strict limits on travel and stipends following the release of records showing one councilman billed the authority nearly $185,000 for 72 trips over five years. The changes, approved in September and October, cap monthly stipends and restrict how often members can fly for work.

City Council member Alan Wapner, who served on the Ontario International Airport Authority board until recently, received $184,997 in reimbursements for trips between March 2021 and June 2026. According to documents released under the California Public Records Act, these trips took him to destinations including Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, the Bahamas, Istanbul, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and Madrid.

The volume of travel stood out among the board. Wapner’s airport authority spending was 64 times the amount reimbursed to the other four board members combined during the same period. Board president Ron Loveridge received $2,865 for his travel, while the other three members did not request reimbursement at all.

Across five different agencies where Wapner held seats, he reported 132 trips and collected $283,630 in total travel expenses. The other four boards paid him a combined $98,632. Specific city and transit boards contributed $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.

Some trips included high personal costs. In January 2023, Wapner charged $8,939.40 for a 17-day conference in Maui, which included a $7,000 rental for a three-bedroom house in Lahaina. His wife accompanied him on several journeys, including an April 2026 trip to Rio de Janeiro that cost $14,325. A September 2025 trip to Hong Kong cost $12,701, with airfare alone totaling $7,437.

Wapner defended the expenditures in an email, stating that his travel was necessary to be effective in his position. He claimed the trips provided access to airline executives, concession operators, and federal officials. He denied the trips were junkets and argued that travel was a standard budget line item that members could have questioned.

Loveridge said the spending complied with authority rules at the time but that commissioners were unaware of the frequency or cumulative cost because Wapner did not report back to the full board. Loveridge also noted 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, nearly double the amount paid to Supervisor Curt Hagman.

On September 24, the board approved bylaw changes capping monthly stipends at $1,000. Members are now limited to one domestic conference per year and one international conference every other year, each requiring advance approval. Spouses can no longer be covered for travel expenses. On October 19, the board voted to create an internal auditing program that includes a full-time auditor.

The travel records emerged as 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 issued to the airport and Ontario City Hall. As of October 22, no charges had been filed against those searched. The City Council removed Wapner from all committee appointments, including the airport board. He has dropped a planned mayoral run and is seeking another term on the council, where he has served since 1994.