Former auditor accuses council member of racist remarks, asks Ontario council to investigate

Brad Newman, the former city auditor whose termination was addressed in the council’s closed-session report, used his public comment time to accuse Council member Alan Wapner of making racist and antisemitic remarks.

"He said of a public commenter, 'he's a Palestinian disguised as a Jew,'" Newman said while presenting audio excerpts he said recorded other comments in which Wapner described someone as "a Palestinian terrorist pretending to be Jewish." Newman called the remarks xenophobic and antisemitic and asked the council to direct the city attorney and staff to research how the council could lawfully hold Wapner accountable and affect a change in his leadership role at Ontario International Airport.

Why it matters: Newman framed his comments as part of ongoing disputes following his termination; the appeal hearing he referenced was held publicly at his request and the council upheld the termination by a 4-0 vote with Mayor Pro Tem Wapner recused from that closed-session matter. Newman alleged that the recusal obstructed what he described as an investigation into corruption and that the council’s actions amounted to unlawful retaliation.

Council response and outcome: The transcript records Newman’s allegations and his audio excerpts, but it does not show a council motion or staff direction in response to the accusations during the meeting. No formal investigation or next step was recorded on the public agenda at this session.

Context and caution: The statements in this article summarize allegations made during public comment and statements that Newman said he supports with audio he played in the chamber; the council did not record an official finding in the transcript. These are allegations that were not resolved during the meeting.