This story has been updated to include a response from the sheriff
Five Congressional and state leaders from San Mateo County today (Nov. 18) called upon embattled Sheriff Christina Corpus to resign, saying her continued tenure impacts public safety.
“The turmoil that is engulfing the sheriff’s office is continuing to damage the organization and its members, jeopardize public safety and is exposing local taxpayers to avoidable liabilities,” according to the statement, signed by U.S. Reps. Kevin Mullin and Anna Eshoo, State Sen. Josh Becker, and Assemblymembers Marc Berman and Diane Papan.
A scathing report about the sheriff’s office from independent investigator and retired Judge LaDoris Cordell, released last week, included findings of abuse of power, retaliation, intimidation, homophobia and racism in Corpus’ office.
The report also investigated Corpus’ chief of staff, Victor Aenlle, who is not a sworn officer, yet Cordell said worked in tandem with Corpus to wreak havoc at the Sheriff’s Office. The investigation found that Aenlle exercised authority far beyond his duties and inched his way up the chain of command where he applied wide-ranging and sometimes abusive authority over civil and sworn staff.
“This damning report coupled with the dismissals and resignations … (within her) command staff of the Sheriff’s Office demonstrates that this is an agency in crisis,” according to Monday’s statement from Congressional and state legislators. “Our county can no longer afford the chaos and failed leadership of Christina Corpus. Our communities deserve better.”
Corpus reiterated that she had no intention of stepping down.
“I am disappointed, but not surprised that more elected officials have decided to pile on me and my office,” the sheriff said in a statement.
“To the people of San Mateo County, I want to make it clear: I am not going anywhere. You elected me to be your Sheriff, and I intend to continue the hard work of reforming this office and keeping this community safe.”
The criticism from state and Congressional leaders follows on the heels of a vote last week by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, demanding the immediate resignation Corpus and the ouster of her chief of staff. Many San Mateo County politicians, including Becker, Mullin and supervisors Ray Mueller and Noelia Corzo, supported Corpus’ run against then-Sheriff Carlos Bolanos in 2022.
Corpus has refused to resign, denying the allegations in the report, which she described as “glaring lies.”
During the supervisors’ meeting last week, Corpus declared that she would not step down or stand for her chief of staff being fired, and instead would be promoting him to assistant sheriff.
“What has happened in the last few days is disgusting,” Corpus said at the meeting. “I will not allow the board to threaten me and attempt to fire my chief of staff without cause. This inquiry was politically motivated and one-sided. That is why, effective immediately, I’m appointing Victor Aenlle to the position of assistant sheriff.”
After the sheriff announced at the meeting she was promoting Aenlle, the board of supervisors directed the county attorney to investigate the legality of the move. County Executive Mike Callagy also announced that Aenlle would be barred from county facilities reserved for sworn officers and county employees.
Assistant Sheriff Matthew Fox resigned on Thursday. Undersheriff Dan Perea is still part of Corpus’ command staff.
— BCN and staff report
“Sheriff” Corpus will never resign. She’ll probably try and cut a deal to have Aenlle leave and let her stay. Her biggest problem is that no one will work for her. Two captains declined to be promoted recently.
Corpus has shown us all what failed leadership is. Everyone except her and Victor, seem to know the end is near. Undersheriff Dan would be wise to jump ship before it completely sinks.
Is damage the only thing at the core of the Corpus Crisis? The statement from legislators who offer, “The turmoil that is engulfing the sheriff’s office is continuing to damage the organization and its members, jeopardize public safety and is exposing local taxpayers to avoidable liabilities,” seem to leave a logical course of action moving forward to the SMC Board of Supervisors (BOS). Government Code section 3060 et seq already gives a test path for resolution and definitive steps for the removal of an elected official. Less expeditious would be a recall effort. With the focus on damage done, virtually no one has surfaced constitutional rights. I have seen no articles, nor heard any discussions, concerning the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
“Procedural due process” concerns procedures that the government must follow before it deprives an individual of life, liberty, or property. Primary key questions relative to procedural due process include: What procedures satisfy due process? And what constitutes “life, liberty, or property”? If my recollection is correct, Courts have determined that due process requires, at a minimum: (1) notice; (2) an opportunity to be heard; and (3) an impartial tribunal. While the BOS and County Attorney are apt professionals, I for one, hope they consider those critical due process aspects and incorporate the necessary elements as they sculpt a Charter Amendment to pass constitutional muster on its face. Is the Board sufficiently courageous to craft an Amendment that applies to all elected officials elected to be San Mateo County employees such as themselves, the District Attorney and the Coroner, to name only some of them.
Despite the apparent unethical behavior of the current Sheriff as an elected official, I maintain faith in the other elected officials to continue to do the right thing, with eyes wide open and altruistic intentions. Both time and history will tell the tale and arrive at the lasting judgement. Madam Sheriff, reconsider your chosen path. Reconsider, if not for yourself, then do it for your own children. Reconsider your resignation for your family, so that those most important to you can understand your original intentions and what impact you had hoped to make in all aspects. You have made your mark in history. Now, before the steps that have become inescapable occur, bring your term to a conclusion dispassionately yet sincerely.
What about greasy Gavin? Is he or AG Bonta going to call for her resignation? Looks likely there are some potential criminal elements to this circus.
As citizens we must contact more of our local representatives , Gavin and AG included . We need to put pressure on them NOW do the right thing . What is happening to our good men and women of the SO here is mind blowing .
Our pathological lying Sheriff and her sick boyfriend have hurt the SO and caused damage ,so more than the public knows . There is more that will come to light if she does not resign . Please keep the pressure on .
This is a hatchet job and I still believe in her vision. Can you guys put some money on my books.
In 2016 Jackie Eshoo and Anna Speier fought to install Susan Manheimer in that position writing a public letter calling the process to appoint an interim SMC Sheriff “rigged” and crooked. Manheimer went on to be appointed and removed Oakland Chief in less than ten months.
So “Sheriff” Corpus and her lover Aennle claim to NOT be in any sexual relationship even after it was proven he bought and gifted her expensive and highly inappropriate personal gifts. Along with a trip to Maui with her assistant ordered to look into wedding venues for them. I say have BOTH of them submit to a forensic polygraph examination to prove their “truthfulness”. Guaranteed they will both refuse!!!!!!
Who even cares if they are dating or not dating. She can’t employee someone and be their boss if she is not capable of being impartial to .
Christina is not capable of being impartial to Victor and that makes employing him inappropriate. She has given this man TOO much authority and victor is not qualified for the positions she appoints him to. Victor has created unnecessary and preventable chaos. If this were ANYONE else Christina would have gotten rid of them
Every elected official and public employee who makes or influences governmental decisions is required to submit a Statement of Economic Interest, also known as the Form 700. The Form 700 provides transparency and ensures accountability in two ways: 1) It provides necessary information to the public about an official’s personal financial interests to ensure that officials are making decisions in the best interest of the public and not enhancing their personal finances. 2) It serves as a reminder to the public official of potential conflicts of interest so the official can abstain from making or participating in governmental decisions that are deemed conflicts of interest.
When voters passed the Political Reform Act they simultaneously created the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) to administer and enforce the landmark ethics law, as well as inform and assist public officials, employees and candidates to comply with its provisions. The expensive gifts (shoes, cash or earrings) received by Sheriff Corpus, either as a Sheriff’s Captain or as the elected sheriff, are undoubtedly within disclosure categories of financial interests one must disclose on their Form 700, based on their job classification or position, since the gifts came from a contractor hired by Corpus in her official capacity.
Did Sheriff Corpus disclose those gifts when she completed her Forms 700 as a Captain, Sheriff-elect and Sheriff? Is that information subject to a Public Records Request under the Freedom of Information Act? Did Sheriff Corpus sign her Forms 700 under penalty of perjury? Has the County shared the Cordell report with the FPPC?
They were cash gifts good luck tracking it unless someone knows fhe date and time and pulls security footage
Plus corpus said this didn’t happen
What are they sitting at home manipulating now… they are trying to turn the events unfolding and everyone be safe
Trying to gain support of over the next few months the mudding the waters with Victors sick and twisted messages he will have her air on the news, post on the SO website and spread through communities to try and deflect attention from them and point fingers to the board pf supervisors and politicians. Playing victim poor me I didn’t do any of this.
Victor and Christina are sick and deranged and dangerous.not once has she claimed responsibility for ANY of this. She has turned this into something all about her and being discriminated against and a female and she just wants to get her way at the expense of an entire county. This is pure narcissistic, sociopathic mentally unstable selfish decisions and choices she is making.
Utter disgust. Do the recall. And btw Christina the voter will vote on a charter amendment too fingers crossed there is legal intervention way before March.
We need the Attorney General to wake up.
Try a little honesty and transparency. Corpus claims she would be the first to take action if someone is doing something wrong- how about that letter from Dan Parea clearly laying out that Victor wanted him to change the code to the safe and obstruct an ongoing investigation. Did Corpus send a notice that she was made aware of a communication and the result is to terminate Aenlle? NO instead she hid this and said how disgusted she is with the Board of Supervisors. Then how long did it actually take for her to remove the riffles with silencers from her office? SEVERAL DAYS. More important things to do I guess. Instead, sent out a press release how you are apalled this is a political game etc etc. It’s all BS just stop please just stop.
Yikes- just WOW! Does EVERYONE NOW SEE that Aenlle is not disciplined for ANYTHING and has some sort of free hall pass on EVERYTHING?