Day 3 of Corpus hearing, ex-assistant takes the stand, testifies about Corpus and Aenlle

San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus’ former friend and assistant took the stand today (Aug. 20) to testify about Corpus’ alleged romantic relationship with her former chief of staff Victor Aenlle.

The testimony came during an administrative hearing in which Corpus is appealing a decision by the county Board of Supervisors to fire her for corruption. Proving Corpus and Aenlle were in an affair is crucial to the county’s case, which claims she engaged in nepotism and ignored complaints about Aenlle intimidating and threatening employees.

Since the public hearing is not being live-streamed, the Post is posting updates from reporter Adriana Hernandez, who is in the courtroom.

9:30 a.m. — San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus testified in private about ongoing investigations for about half an hour, with the courtroom opening to the public at 9:23 a.m. 

10:30 a.m. — Thomas Mazzucco, Corpus’s attorney, asked Corpus about her relationship with Associate Management Analyst Valerie Barnes. 

Barnes was Corpus’s assistant at the Millbrae bureau, and according to the county-commissioned Keker report, Barnes raised concerns about Corpus hiring Victor Aenlle as chief of staff. 

Corpus said she didn’t pick Barnes to be her executive assistant and wouldn’t have picked her because she “wasn’t the right person for the job.” 

Mazzucco asked more questions about the discrimination Corpus claims she has endured. Corpus told a story about when she was a captain and got her hair pulled and was told, “You’re so f****** irresistible” by another deputy. She reported the instance but felt that it was not handled seriously. 

Mazzucco asked Corpus about the former Capt. Rebecca Ablin’s Nextdoor post, where she said she was leaving the sheriff’s office and its coastside bureau. Corpus said she was blindsided by the post. 

“It really put me in a predicament,” Corpus said in the courtroom. 

Corpus has been accused of retaliating against Albin for making the post, including prematurely locking Albin out of the coastside bureau that she oversaw.

10:50 a.m. — Mazzucco asked Corpus if she had ever received death threats. Corpus said there was an inmate in her jail who said he was going to slice her open and kill her. The inmate made a second threat to hit her with a tray until “her brains were on the ground,” Corpus said. 

Corpus also said she has been receiving threats from a social media account that is followed by many employees in the sheriff’s office. Corpus said the account has taken photos of her car at a specific spot where she would park, but she no longer parks there because of the photos. 

11 a.m. — Thomas Mazzucco, one of Corpus’ lawyers, asked Corpus when she was accused of retaliation. Corpus responded that it happened every time she made a decision. 

11:15 a.m. —  Mazzucco asked the hearing officer if he could show a statement Corpus released on Feb. 5 about how crime is down. Jan Little, the county’s attorney, objected to showing the statement as evidence because it was “hearsay” and was “not relevant” to her removal. 

The hearing officer, retired Santa Clara County Judge James Emerson, who is overseeing the hearing, allowed Mazzucco to show the statement. Corpus said that she made the statement after her request to present the information to the Board of Supervisors was declined by County Executive Mike Callagy. 

Corpus said the county offered her $1 million to resign and walk away, but declined after remembering why she first ran, to change the sheriff’s office for the better. Corpus said she also thought about residents and how they depend on her. 

Mazzucco showed a message Corpus sent to the employees of the sheriff’s office, saying she was not going anywhere. 

“I come in every day despite the scrutiny and ridicule,” the email read, and Corpus said she was very proud.

Mazzuco finished asking questions, and Little asked Corpus about her statement.  

“Despite the noise and distractions that have surrounded us recently, let me be clear. I am still the sheriff. To those who try to divide us with fear and misinformation – your time is ending,” Corpus wrote. 

Little asked Corpus if she was referring to those who would be testifying and whose statements she deemed false, that their time would be ending. Mazzucco quickly got up and demanded that Little read the whole paragraph. Emerson said he would have an opportunity to ask Corpus more questions after Little was done if he wanted. 

Corpus said she wasn’t referring to them and that Little doesn’t know what she was referring to because Little doesn’t work with her.

Mazzucco stepped up again to ask Corpus to read the whole statement, but Emerson didn’t allow it because it would take too much time. So Mazzucco asked Corpus to just read a paragraph and her testimony ended.

The following entry has been updated to correctly identify which of Corpus’s attorneys questioned Deputy HR Director Michelle Kuka.

11:45 a.m. — The county’s attorney, Jan Little, called Deputy HR Director Michelle Kuka, to testify, asking her questions about the contract with the deputies’ union and overtime pay. Corpus has contended that the union wants to remove her because of a dispute involving overtime pay.

Kuka was asked questions regarding the logistics of employee timecard codes, specifically concerning the code used by Carlos Tapia, president of the deputies’ union. Tapia was arrested for timecard fraud, but the charges were dropped by District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe for lack of evidence. 

Matthew Frauenfeld, Corpus’s attorney, asked Kuka questions that she didn’t know the answer to or that she said were not part of her job description. 

Frauenfeld asked Kuka about the overtime expenses and if they were over budget. He presented a document stating there was $7,481,493 over budget for the 2022-23 period due to overtime pay. 

Kuka said she was aware of the difficulties there were with the budget. Kuka’s responses were very short and to the point. 

Frauenfeld called out Kuka for not giving good answers. Kuka was taken aback and raised her eyebrows in disbelief. 

Frauenfeld was going back and forth when presenting evidence, mixing up page numbers and returning to the counsel’s table often. Residents who attended today’s hearing would giggle on the side and ask, “What point is he trying to make?”

12:30 p.m. — Associate Management Analyst Valerie Barnes was called to the witness stand and, without showing emotion, looked at Corpus as she took a seat. 

Brook Dooley, an attorney for the county, presented various text messages between Corpus and Barnes where they would call each other “boo” and refer to themselves as “salt and pepper.” 

Barnes said she met Corpus when Corpus was a captain. The two became close after Corpus took over the Milbrae bureau, according to Barnes. They would talk about Corpus’ marriage, their kids and work, Barnes said in the courtroom. 

Barnes said she worked on Corpus’ campaign almost every day as a volunteer when Corpus decided to run for sheriff. Barnes said she believed in Corpus.

2:30 p.m. — The text messages between Corpus and Barnes were presented again as evidence regarding the homophobic slur targeted at a former Millbrae councilwoman. Dooley asked Barnes if Corpus learned the term “fuzzbumper” from her, to which Barnes denied. Barnes said that her name for the council member was “comb over” because of her hair. 

During Corpus’ testimony, she said she had learned the term from Barnes. 

Dooley asked Barnes if she had heard Corpus use another slur. Barnes said yes, that Corpus called former county sheriff Carlos Bolanos a “coconut” and even said what it meant. 

It’s when “you’re brown on the outside but white in the inside,” Barnes said. Corpus yesterday denied knowing what the term meant or ever saying it.

3 p.m. — Associate Management Analyst Valerie Barnes, who worked in the sheriff’s bureau in Millbrae when Corpus headed that office as captain, testified that Aenlle was “googly-eyed” towards Corpus. Barnes said she saw him rub Corpus’ back and feet in the office.

Aenlle and Corpus also shared a kiss in her office while they were looking over a yearbook, Barnes said. Barnes said she also saw messages between Corpus and Aenlle where Corpus would say, “I love you baby. I miss you baby.” 

Barnes also said the two would say they were practicing to have babies and had thoughts of getting married. Corpus asked her to look for a wedding venue, Barnes said. 

Text messages of Barnes telling Corpus to enjoy being spoiled were shown again and Barnes confirmed she was talking about Corpus being spoiled by Aenlle. 

Aenlle gave Corpus $12,000 in cash for her Tiffany earrings, Barnes said that Corpus shared with her. Corpus testified yesterday that she bought the earrings for herself with her own cash, and that she paid $8,000 for them.

3:30 p.m. — When Corpus won the election in which she defeated incumbent Carlos Bolanos, there was a rooftop watch party where Corpus gave thanks to her family, husband, and Team Revolution. Team Revolution Corpus’ campaign team that included Barnes. Barnes said she overheard a conversation between Corpus and Aenlle where he said, “I can’t believe you thanked him, and not me. It’s over.” 

“No, baby,” Corpus said to Aenlle, according to Barnes. 

Brook Dooley, an attorney for the county, asked Barnes if she knew about Corpus’ trip to Hawaii. Barnes said she knew that Corpus was uninvited to her niece’s wedding because her family found out she was bringing Aenlle. 

Dooley showed messages Corpus had sent to Barnes on Instagram saying she wasn’t going to go anymore and wasn’t on speaking terms with her family. Corpus also said that her niece saw them together and took a photo of “them” in the messages presented. Barnes said “them” referred to Aenlle and Corpus. 

Barnes said she warned Corpus about hiring Aenlle because she would “lose a lot of credibility.” 

Barnes said that Corpus “f***ed around and found out.”

“I’m very disappointed. I can’t believe this is where we are at,” Barnes said when Dooley asked her how she felt. 

4 p.m. — Mariah Cooks, one of Corpus’ attorneys, questioned Associate Management Analyst Valerie Barnes about her claim that she saw foot rubbing and a kiss in Corpus office in Millbrae when Corpus was a captain there.

Cooks asked Barnes how she was the only person to see this activity when there were five to 10 people in the office. Barnes said that Corpus’ door was closed, but there was a connecting door to their offices. 

Cooks showed the text messages in which Corpus called a former Millbrae councilwoman a slur for lesbians. (It should be pointed out that Corpus was mistaken and the ex-councilwoman is not a lesbian.) The text was about a hairdresser the councilwoman and Barnes both used.

“I didn’t realize your stylist did men’s hair,” Barnes texted Corpus. 

Cooks asked if Barnes realized how Corpus used the right pronouns, yet she misgendered the councilwoman. Barnes said she was very embarrassed that her message was on the screen. 

Cooks referred to Barnes testimony earlier about a campaign election night watch party in which she overheard a conversation between Corpus and Aenlle.

Cooks asked Barnes how it was possible that it was only Barnes who heard the conversation when there were around 50 people in attendance. 

“Now that doesn’t make any logical sense, now does it?” Cooks said. To which Barnes replied, “None of this makes sense.” 

Cooks showed an image Barnes posted on her Instagram, where Barnes was in front of semi-retired sheriff’s Capt. Paul Kunkel who was towering over her.

“You don’t find that inappropriate at all?” Cooks asked Barnes. Barnes said she didn’t. 

Cooks asked Barnes if she was behind an Instagram account that has been posting about Corpus’s firing. Barnes quickly said, “Absolutely not.” 

Cooks asked Barnes if she ever said, “I’m going to get that b****,” if she didn’t get promoted, referring to Corpus. Barnes denied making the statement and Cooks said she was appalled that she didn’t remember. 

4:30 p.m. — Former Lt. Dan Guiney testified about working on Corpus’s campaign. He said that Aenlle would take charge of the meetings they had, but thought he wasn’t the appropriate person to do so. 

Guiney said he pushed back on the suggestions Aenlle would make, but Corpus would always implement them. There were Zoom meetings where Corpus and Aenlle were sitting very close, Guiney said. During one of these meetings, they were together on a couch at Aenlles’ ranch in Montara on the coastside, according to Guiney.

Aenlle had his hands on Corpus’ shoulder at times, Guiney said.

Corpus would always make excuses for why Aenlle was with her during Zoom meetings, Guiney said. 

Guiney said he talked to Corpus’s now ex-husband, retired sheriff’s Lt. John Kovach, and he would tell her that Corpus was out late or at Aenlle’s ranch. Kovach knew Corpus was at Aenlle’s ranch because her car would have dirt on it, according to Guiney. 

In October 2022, Guiney attended a conference where Corpus arrived wearing boots, he said. Corpus told Guiney that her husband had bought them for her, but in a later conversation, Kovach said Aenlle bought them. 

“Every time I saw Christina, I saw Victor. They both indicated they would be together,” during the conference, Guiney said. 

When they were at the airport, Guiney also witnessed Aenlle grabbing a yogurt parfait that Corpus had left on a counter, he said. Corpus told Aenlle that it had her spoon and grabbed a new one and finished it, Guiney said. 

“I formed the opinion they were having an affair,” Guiney said.  

Guiney also testified he heard Corpus use slurs. He said it was a difficult decision to leave the sheriff’s office, but he felt betrayed.

5 p.m. — Jennifer Valdez, who was the sheriff’s office administrative secretary for 18 years, started her testimony.

Valdez testified that she heard Aenlle say “te amo” (Spanish for “I love you”) after she left his office. Before leaving, Valdez saw that Corpus was calling Aenlle. Valdez said her desk was 10 to 11 feet from Aenlle’s office, allowing her to hear conversations he would have. 

Valdez said Aenlle acted “possessive” over Corpus when people would want to meet with her. Corpus had an open-door policy, but it ended after Aenlle came into the picture, Valdez said. 

Aenlle would also bring Corpus’s children to the office once or twice a week, according to Valdez. 

During cross-examination, Valdez said she was a supporter of former Sheriff Carlos Bolanos, who Corpus defeated in 2022, and had signs supporting him at her home. Leung asked Valdez if she knew what genders Corpus’s children are, and she answered a boy and a girl. Leung then asked if Valdez was romantically involved with Corpus’s ex-husband, and she denied it. 

Leung proceeded to ask Valdez about a memo she had found from Undersheriff Dan Perea to Corpus regarding codes to open the gun safe in Corpus’ office at 330 Bradford St.

Emerson asked Leung to wrap up his questioning because it wasn’t clear what point he was trying to make. Leung asked for time to confer with the rest of Corpus’ legal team and returned asking for a few more minutes. 

5:15 p.m. — Former Sheriff’s Office Criminal Records Manager Jenna McAlpin, the last to testify today, said that she witnessed many times when Aenlle was condescending towards others. McAlpin said Aenlle would sometimes “vent” to her about employees he thought were disloyal to Corpus. 

The day before her last day, Aenlle accused McAlpin of posting denigrating content about Corpus on social media, but McAlpin denied it.  

“I swore on my children’s lives. He didn’t believe me,” McAlpin said. She said she also offered to take a lie detector test.

McAlpin said she felt herself getting hives during her confrontation with Aenlle due to the nerves. 

One of Corpus’ attorneys, Attorney Wai Shun Wilson Leung, asked McAlpin a few questions about her resignation letter and the messages she sent after leaving. 

Leung pointed out that in all of her messages, she said she “will miss everyone tremendously,” and McAlpin thanked Aenlle and Corpus for their “kind words and send off.”

5:20 p.m. — The proceedings ended abruptly when a deputy handed the hearing officer, retired Judge James Emerson, a note that the courthouse was closing for the evening.