Records Detail Travel Reimbursements for Ontario Official

Records released under the California Public Records Act show that an Ontario City Council member requested and received $184,997 in travel reimbursements for 72 trips taken between March 2021 and June 2026. The individual held a seat on the Ontario International Airport Authority board during this period. The disclosure comes as the city council has removed him from all committee assignments, including the airport board. He has abandoned a planned run for mayor but intends to seek another term on the council, a position he has held since 1994.

The travel expenses were incurred across five different agencies where the council member held seats. Over the five-year span, he reported 132 trips in total, averaging approximately 26 per year. The combined cost to these five agencies for his travel amounted to $283,630. The airport authority accounted for $184,997 of that total, while the other four boards paid out a combined $98,632.

The disparity in spending is significant when compared to other members of the airport authority board. The reimbursement total from the airport authority is 64 times what the other four board members combined received during the same period. Board president Ron Loveridge received $2,865 for travel between 2021 and 2026. The other three members on the board did not request reimbursement for travel expenses.

Airport-funded trips included travel to international destinations such as Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, the Bahamas, Istanbul, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and Madrid, as well as repeated visits to Hawaii. In January 2023, a 17-day conference trip to Maui cost $8,939.40, which included a $7,000 rental for a three-bedroom house in Lahaina. His wife accompanied him on several trips, including a journey to Rio de Janeiro in April 2026 that cost $14,325. A trip to Hong Kong in September 2025 cost $12,701, with airfare alone totaling $7,437.

The council member defended the expenses in an email, stating, "My travel was necessary for me to be effective in my position." He added that none of the trips were junkets and argued that the travel provided access to airline executives, concession operators, and federal officials whose decisions influence the airport's growth. Board president Ron Loveridge noted that while the spending met authority rules at the time, commissioners were not aware of the trips. He explained that the council member did not report back to the full board, leaving other members unaware of the frequency or cumulative cost. Loveridge also stated that the funds came from airport revenue rather than tax dollars.

In addition to travel, the council member earned approximately a quarter of a million dollars in meeting stipends from the authority over the past decade, a figure nearly double the amount paid to Supervisor Curt Hagman. The FBI searched the council member's Ontario home on July 28, along with 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. What investigators sought is not publicly known, and as of Thursday, Oct. 22, no charges are known to have been filed against those searched.

Following the disclosures, the airport board approved bylaw changes on Sept. 24 that cap monthly stipends at $1,000. The new rules limit members to one domestic conference annually and one international conference every other year, with advance approval required. Spouses' travel can no longer be paid for. On Oct. 19, the board voted to create an internal auditing program, including a full-time auditor. The council member said the board was scapegoating him and that travel was a budget line item that members could have questioned.

Catherine Lhamon of UC Berkeley's Edley Center on Law and Democracy commented on the matter, saying, "Personal profit from public service is the definition of corruption." She called for clear rules and public scrutiny of officials. The council member has stated that none of the trips were junkets, while board president Ron Loveridge said the spending met authority rules at the time but that commissioners did not know about the trips. What investigators sought is not publicly known, and as of Thursday, Oct. 22, no charges are known to have been filed against those searched.

The council member has served on the city council since 1994 and is seeking another term. The airport board voted to create an internal auditing program, including a full-time auditor. The council member said the board was scapegoating him and that travel was a budget line item that members could have questioned. Catherine Lhamon of UC Berkeley's Edley Center on Law and Democracy said, "Personal profit from public service is the definition of corruption," and called for clear rules and public scrutiny of officials.