Councilman Bills Airport $185,000

Ontario City Council member Alan Wapner collected $184,997 in travel reimbursements from the Ontario International Airport Authority between March 2021 and June 2026. Public records reveal that the board paid for 72 trips during that five-year period.

Wapner sat on the airport authority board until recently. Across five separate agencies where he held seats, he reported 132 total trips, averaging 26 per year. The five bodies spent a combined $283,630 on his travel. The airport authority account for the majority of that sum, with the other four boards contributing $98,632.

The disparity in spending is stark. Wapner’s airport reimbursements were 64 times higher than what the other four board members received together in the same timeframe. Board president Ron Loveridge claimed only $2,865 for travel from 2021 to 2026. The remaining three members did not seek reimbursement.

Airport funds took Wapner to destinations including Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, the Bahamas, Istanbul, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Madrid, and Hawaii. In January 2023, he 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 joined him on several excursions, including a trip to Rio de Janeiro in April 2026 that cost $14,325. A September 2025 flight to Hong Kong cost $12,701, with airfare alone totaling $7,437.

Wapner defended the expenses in an email, stating that the travel was necessary for him to be effective in his position. He insisted none of the trips were junkets and that they provided access to airline executives, concession operators, and federal officials. Loveridge said the spending complied with authority rules at the time but that commissioners were unaware of the trips because Wapner did not report back to the full board.

The FBI searched Wapner's home in Ontario on July 28. Agents also searched the homes or offices of Supervisor Curt Hagman, attorney Frank Lizarraga, and others linked to businessman James Su. Subpoenas were issued to the airport and Ontario City Hall. No charges were known to have been filed as of October 22. The city council removed Wapner from all committee appointments, including the airport board.

On September 24, the airport board approved bylaw changes capping monthly stipends at $1,000. The new rules limit members to one domestic conference annually and one international conference every other year, requiring advance approval. Spousal travel can no longer be funded. Wapner dropped a planned mayoral run and is seeking another term on the council, where he has served since 1994.