Ontario Airport Board Caps Travel After Member Billed $185,000
New bylaws restrict international trips and ban spouse travel following an audit of Alan Wapner's reimbursements.
By Ayanda Boateng ·
Ontario International Airport Authority members can no longer bill the agency for their spouses' travel or attend more than one domestic conference annually. The board approved these bylaw changes on September 24. The new rules follow a review of records showing that former board member Alan Wapner billed the agency $184,997 for 72 trips between March 2021 and June 2026.
Wapner's airport reimbursement total was 64 times higher than the combined travel costs of the other four board members during the same period. Board President Ron Loveridge received $2,865 for his travel, while the other three members did not request reimbursement. Across five different public agencies where Wapner held seats, officials spent $283,630 on his travel over five years.
Records released under the California Public Records Act show Wapner traveled to locations including Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, and Istanbul. In January 2023, he charged $8,939.40 for a 17-day trip to Maui. That bill included a $7,000 rental for a three-bedroom house in Lahaina. His wife accompanied him on several journeys, including a trip to Rio de Janeiro in April 2026 that cost $14,325.
In an email, Wapner stated his travel was necessary for him to be effective in his position. He claimed the trips were not junkets and provided access to airline executives and federal officials. Loveridge said the spending met the authority's rules at the time but noted that commissioners were unaware of the trips because Wapner did not report back to the full board.
The airport board also voted on October 19 to create an internal auditing program that includes hiring a full-time auditor. Wapner, who has served on the City Council since 1994, said the board was scapegoating him. He argued that travel was a budget line item that other members could have questioned.
Wapner was removed from all committee appointments, including the airport board, after the FBI searched his Ontario home on July 28. Agents also searched the residences of Supervisor Curt Hagman and attorney Frank Lizarraga. No charges have been filed against those searched as of October 22. Wapner has dropped a planned mayoral run and is seeking another term on the council.
The City of Ontario paid Wapner $62,855 for travel, while Omnitrans paid $17,578. The Southern California Association of Governments paid $12,574, and the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority paid $5,625. Catherine Lhamon of UC Berkeley's Edley Center on Law and Democracy said personal profit from public service is the definition of corruption.
