San Mateo County voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved Measure A, allowing the county Board of Supervisors to fire Sheriff Christina Corpus, who is accused of widespread abuse of power.
Measure A got 85.2% of the vote, or 78,319 to 13,583. The measure needed a majority vote to pass.
The turnout was 20.7% in the special election that had only one question on the ballot.
On April 3, county elections chief Mark Church is expected to certify the vote and deliver the certification to the five-member Board of Supervisors. Then the board can schedule a hearing and vote on whether to fire Corpus. A four-fifths vote of the supervisors is required.
At the “Yes on A” election night party in Redwood City, the crowd reacts to the first returns. Deputies union President Carlos Tapia, who was arrested on Sheriff Christina Corpus’ orders, is the fifth person from the left. The case was later thrown out of court by District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe. Post photo by Amelia Biscardi.
Corpus, who took office in 2023, is accused of nepotism, arresting a critic, intimidating her employees, making racist and homophobic slurs, and running jails that have had an unusual number of inmate deaths.
The campaign pitted the unions for the deputies and lieutenants in the sheriff’s office against Corpus and her supporters. Last year, the unions voted overwhelmingly to declare they had no confidence in Corpus.
Corpus, in television interviews and a smattering of public appearances, emphasized that she is facing retribution for trying to eliminate the “good old boys” in the sheriff’s office and institute reforms.
She has also emphasized that she is the first Latina to serve as sheriff in San Mateo County.
In an interview conducted in Spanish on Channel 14, she told viewers that if she’s removed, she feared her replacement would turn undocumented immigrants over to ICE.
However, the Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance in 2023 prohibiting any county employee from cooperating with ICE without a warrant signed by a judge. Violating the ordinance would be a misdemeanor.
The supervisors put Measure A on the ballot after they read a 400-page report they had commissioned from retired Santa Clara County Judge LaDoris Cordell that alleged widespread corruption by Sheriff Corpus and her former chief of staff, Victor Aenlle. Over four months, Cordell interviewed 40 past and current sheriff’s employees, many of whom had filed HR complaints against Aenlle that Corpus had never read.
“Lies, secrecy, intimidation, retaliation, conflicts of interest, and abuses of authority are the hallmarks of the Corpus administration,” Judge Cordell wrote in her report. “Sheriff Corpus should step down and Victor Aenlle’s employment with the Sheriff’s Office should be terminated immediately. Nothing short of new leadership can save this organization that is in turmoil, and its personnel demoralized.”
The Board of Supervisors eliminated Aenlle’s position but the county charter prevented them from firing the sheriff. Measure A would give the supervisors the power to fire a sheriff, but only on a temporary basis, until 2028.
Corpus ordered the firing of Assistant Sheriff Ryan Monaghan after he revealed he had spoken to Cordell. Then Corpus ordered her staff to arrest deputies union president Carlos Tapia for timecard fraud, though District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe later threw out the case and cleared Tapia. Tapia is an outspoken critic of Corpus.
Sheriff’s Capt. Brian Philip resigned after he was ordered to arrest Tapia, saying there was “no factual basis” for the timecard claim. Philip is now suing the county over Corpus’ actions, as are other former employees.
Wagstaffe is investigating the allegations in the Cordell report, but declined to discuss the progress of his case before the election. He said he didn’t want the DA’s office to become a tool of either side in the election.
Among the most serious allegations facing Corpus is that five inmates have died in her jails over her two years in office, an unusually high number. The causes of the deaths have been attributed to drugs and suicides. Other jails have policies to reduce such deaths.
Corpus went to court to try and stop the Measure A election. But on Feb. 26, Superior Court Judge Nicole Healy. County officials said Corpus’ challenge came too late, after ballots had been mailed out and that she “slept on her rights.”
Right now, Corpus is Googling “Countries without extradition treaties with the U.S.”
Before the Supervisors remove her from office, she’s going to get revenge on everybody who works for her. It’s going to be hell.
Now that the people have spoken and it will not look like election interference, the charges are coming!!! Corpus and her felonious clowns must be absolutely panicking!!!!! Oh to be the fly on the wall with her and little Vicky!!!!!! Get the hell OUT!!!!! You are all scum and are a complete embarrassment and disgrace to Law Enforcement!!!!!
Their flies are onky filing lawsuits and don’t see the light yet
Even if she miraculously survives this, Corpus’s law enforcement career is over. She couldn’t get another job in law enforcement, even as a meter maid. Sad, she let it come to this.
A big hard look I to her lost votes from 80K plus lin 2022 to 12k
Why wait for a recall Corpus do the right thing and resign
Save face and fall on the sword. Salvage what is left of your self esteem. Resign
Does Victor still publicly show his face after this?
Sheriff Corpus has repeatedly said that she would not step down because she was voted into office by the citizens of San Mateo County .
Well the voters have spoken and it’s crystal clear that they want her OUT. Very sad to see a woman humiliate herself like this.
I hope he was worth it Christy, I think you’ll soon find out he was not.
With this landslide, she needs to gracefully resign and await the charges she will face. The people have spoken. The message couldn’t be clearer. It’s time to go. Have a bit of dignity and walk out the door rather than have them carry you out in handcuffs.
I predict that before the Board removes her she will ensure the County has to pay out millions in new lawsuits based upon her juvenile conduct in seeking retribution against certain people within the Sheriff’s Office.
Dan Noyes advocacy of Christina and Victor didn’t move the needle in this race. Nobody cared what exclusive scoop he had. He was just the mouthpiece of these two. Maybe Dan it’s time to hang it up?
Bam, big upper cut! Her knees are buckling. Round one overwhelming awarded to the citizens of San Mateo County. Will the knockout blow be the findings of the five investigations by the DA’s Office? Round two starts …
Are you kidding me? A “watch party” by the “professionals” in the labor union, and other key players, to await the election results? Both disappointing and unprofessional to see in the eyes of some, despite the trauma they have endured. One would hope that professionals would act professionally, dispassionately, and impartially. Are they trying to feed Corpus’ and Aenlle’s false narrative?
Looking at the picture from left to right, it appears to be Vanessa Tapia, Sean Harper, moving right to Carlos Tapia, then former Undersheriff Hsuing in the background. Is that Assistant Sheriff Monaghan next to him partially behind the column? Then moving right, in front of the column, looks like Sheriff’s Captain, and Millbrae Police Chief, Eamonn Allen. Then on the far right, facing the camera, Doug Davis, former Police Chief and current City Manager of Hillsborough. Aren’t City Managers supposed to be apolitical? They all live in glass houses.
Understanding the real and psychological stressors that the SO employees faced, and still face, dealing with corruption is one thing. Recognizing the distinct possibility that any of them could be falsely arrested, or have their job security and livelihood taken away, by those opposing everything they have devoted their careers in public service to is beyond unsettling. All humans have basic needs. Those needs are physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. Basic human needs.
One might then reconsider if that watch party was disappointing and unprofessional for those there. Moreover, perhaps the gathering was a touching insight, embodying the impact that distress has on those adversely impacted by the extent of Corpus’ corruption. Looking forward, what is the plan of those in the County to continue to protect the protectors depicted in the image, and their co-workers, while this process proceeds?
This is clearly the darkest chapter in the history of San Mateo County law enforcement. Can we now continue to do the right thing and move forward? Can we work together to continue the actions to keep the county safe? One can only hope and pray that is the case.
It sounds to me that you were a former employee. A watch party is common in all elections and this is a union party as there is no one in uniform. Employees are not allowed to campaign or advocate for political entities while on duty. You make it sound like law enforcement officers do not have rights as citizens which is distrubing to say the least.
And as far as naming everyone in the photo, that in and of itself is dispecable. Shame on you
Just about the same number of people voted yes on Measure A so far 78K YES votes vs 82K in her 2022 election. 38 % of the county voted in the 2022 election so far only 20% in this election.
Corpus can’t possibly think the voters want to keep her in office.
She has to realize a good number of people that voted NO did so because they want a recall election.
Resign Corpus, save yourself the time and the county money.
It took a lot of work to start the process to remove Corpus and us regular taxpayers/citizens owe the “yes on A” campaigners a big thank you. Corruption was taking over our sheriff’s department. Hopefully a new sheriff will get things back on track. To the people in that photo, I say “job well done. thank you!”
When people asked what happened here with Measure A, tell them The North Remembers. Tell them that Winter Came for House VicTina.
na na na na, na na na na, hey hey, goodbye