CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story should have said that the ice cream machines were for jail employees, not inmates. This version has been corrected to reflect that fact.
A San Mateo County sheriff’s employee claims she suffered from retaliation because she questioned decisions by Sheriff Christina Corpus, such as spending $16,000 for soft-serve ice cream machines for jail personnel.
The employee who filed the claim — Sheriff’s Food and Nutrition Services Director Ana Miramon — said Corpus retaliated against her when she questioned her decisions, like buying soft-serve ice cream machines. Several current and former employees of Corpus have filed legal claims with the county alleging retaliation.
An independent investigation of the sheriff’s office by retired judge LaDoris Cordell found evidence of retaliation against several employees, as well as intimidation, conflicts of interest and abuses of authority.
Voters on March 4 amended the county charter to allow the Board of Supervisors to fire Corpus, and the board plans to hold a hearing next month to vote on whether to remove Corpus from office.
When the harassment occurred, Miramon said then-Lt. William Fogarty would yell at her and “invade her personal space,” the claim said.
Miramon’s attorney, Charles Stone, former Belmont mayor, said there was an investigation into harassment she faced from Fogarty during then-Sheriff Carlos Bolanos’ administration and Fogarty was removed from supervising her.
Miramon met with Paul Kunkel, a member of Corpus’ transition team in 2022, who said they would add two soft serve ice cream machines, costing a total of $16,000. Miramon questioned the ice cream dispensers and specialty coffee machines that Kunkel was installing, saying that the ice cream machines needed 18 hours a week to clean. She said the total cost of adding these treats, including a contracted chef, would cost $100,000 a year. She said she told Kunkel that was excessive.
After Corpus was elected, Miramon met with her in April 2023 to discuss her alleged harassment from Fogarty. During the meeting, Corpus sympathized with Miramon, saying she experienced similar treatment and Miramon would “never have to work with Lt. Fogarty again,” the claim said.
Miramon was approached by her supervisor in April 2024, who said then Sheriff’s Chief of Staff Victor Aenlle wanted the kitchen’s food scraps for his coastside ranch, the claim said. Aenlle’s ranch houses farm workers, though the claim didn’t say who would get the food scraps.
Miramon said she needed a direct written order to ship the food scraps to Aenlle’s ranch. She told her supervisors she believed the request violated county policies and the health code. After the food scraps request, Miramon received a poor performance review. She said she believed she was being retaliated against because she wouldn’t “play ball” with the administration, the claim said. She then received a letter of reprimand regarding an incident 17 months earlier.
Miramon found out Fogarty was being reassigned and would be her supervisor again around May 1, according to the claim.
Miramon emailed Corpus and Undersheriff Dan Perea, saying she thought Fogarty could not be her direct supervisor because of her harassment claim against him.
Then, on Oct. 11, Miramon received an email from Perea dismissing her concerns, saying he was unaware of anything that supported her claim not to work under Fogarty, the claim said.
Miramon has been on medical leave and is set to return to work. But she fears going back to work under Fogarty, the claim said.
She is looking for $300,000 in damages in her claim.
Miramon is not unique in making a claim against the sheriff’s office. Two sheriff’s union presidents and a former captain have claims against the department, too. They all claim retaliation from the sheriff’s office.
Come on…nearly everyday another story about yet another lawsuit against the county and Little Ms. Corpus (along with her merry band of idiots). When is this nonsense going to end and Corpus is out on her backside once and for all. The voters have spoken! Let’s get on with the BOS vote in April and put this dismal chapter in the history of the San Mateo County Sheriffs Office behind us.
You just can’t make this stuff up. Come on Christina, leave now. No one wants you here anymore. No one!
Six in-custody deaths under Corpus’ watch, but clearly she is more concerned about putting ice cream on the jail menu. How utterly disgusting!
Is that Aenlle‘s new backup plan/side job making 100 grand a year?
This is so pathetic it is comedy at this point!!! There must be lawyers wandering the halls handing out business cards with all the suits being filed against Corpus and her clown crew!
The bigger question is, did they break down like the one that’s always out of service at McDonald’s?
The Sheriff We Can Trust is still in charge. Frivolous comments by the good old boys won’t bother her. Especially when she only come to work for a day or two and then its only for a few hour.
Were the County Controller and Director of Finance out to lunch? Why was there no checks at and balances over VicTina’s exorbitant spending of taxpayer money? Why didn’t the Controller or Director of Finance veto the $35,688 a month rental lease for the vacant substation/daycare on Broadway which didn’t follow County procurement policies, the $74k spent on a conference table, or the $16k spent on an icecream machine? There needs to be a forensic audit. As in Watergate, follow the money!
Ice cream and specialty coffee machines? As if providing these items was going to make the harassment and corruption from our Sheriff easier for us swallow. I don’t care how good the coffee and ice cream was going to taste.
Ice cream popsicles, and puppies.. as if that was going to smooth over her vile misdeeds.
This appalling abuse of power must be stopped. I am concerned about some of the supervisors not wanting to fire a woman sheriff. Surely they must realize that having a corrupt woman in office does not do any women any good!! Being willing to put up with the unbelievable corruption for the sake of having a woman, will keep me from voting for a woman in the future. And I am a woman!! I very much want to see women empowered, but it is disgusting to see her supported in her blatent corruption.
This is a painful and costly wakeup call for SM Co. When we have someone as corrupt as Corpus still hanging on and we have to wait and watch the lawsuits pile up ,something needs to change. How ridiculous is it that no one can get this little snake Aenlle’s name off the Sheriff’s Office website? Is there really no one with authority over what is displayed on our tax payer website? Why do we allow misinformation displayed on our local law enforcement website? It does however, expose Corpus and Aenlle to be the petty defiant scumbags they really are.
Sheriff Corpus has hurt so many people. No amount of warpaint or tatted up brows can make this Sheriff look human anymore. she has finally morphed in to the grotesque human being she has been displaying to us for over 2 years.
When will the DA’s Office release their findings on the five investigations sprouted out the Cordell Report. (Aenlle did hire a criminal attorney.)
I don’t know about claims that “rumor as it,” but it is well known that one of the supervisors — former Congressperson Jackie Speier — is close friends with former San Mateo police chief Susan Manheimer. Speier pushed for Manheimer to become sheriff but was miffed when supervisors picked Carlos Bolanos in 2016. Speier, now a supervisor, will push for Manheimer again, but the other four supervisors haven’t decided and don’t want Speier to be playing “kingmaker”. The supervisors will hash this out in private, blatantly violating the Brown Act, until they have made a decision. Then they’ll commence the process of firing Christina Corpus. This is going to be a hot mess.