In Day 7 of the hearings over the removal of Sheriff Christina Corpus, her former chief of staff, Victor Aenlle, denied having an intimate relationship with the sheriff and he attacked former Undersheriff Chris Hsiung.
Aenlle said Hsiung, who was Mountain View’s police chief before joining the sheriff’s office, is spineless and would fall asleep during meetings. Corpus’ attorneys wanted to submit a video of Hsiung sleeping, but hearing officer James Emerson said he didn’t need to see it.
Aenlle, who was a reserve deputy before Corpus elevated him to her inner circle, has been accused by witnesses of intimidating sheriff’s employees who disagreed with him or Corpus.
The county Board of Supervisors hired retired Santa Clara County Judge LaDoris Cordell to investigate HR complaints that were piling up on Corpus’ desk.
Cordell concluded that Corpus and Aenlle ran the sheriff’s office through retaliation and intimidation. Cordell’s report also concluded that the two had an “intimate relationship,” something both Corpus and Aenlle deny.
Corpus is the supervisors’ decision to fire her due to allegations of corruption. Since the public hearing is not being live-streamed, the Post is posting updates from reporter Adriana Hernandez, who is in the courtroom. Check this page throughout the day for Hernandez’s latest.
So far during the Day 7 of the removal hearings of San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus, former Assistant Sheriff Ryan Monaghan testified about his firing by Corpus after he participated in a county-commissioned independent report by retired Judge LaDoris Cordell.
Cordell said that Corpus and her then-chief of staff, Victor Aenlle were running the sheriff’s office through retaliation and intimidation. Cordell’s report also concluded that the two had an “intimate relationship,” something Corpus vehemently denied during her sworn testimony last week.
Aenlle is now testifying.
Corpus is appealing the county Board of Supervisors’ decision to fire her due to allegations of corruption. Since the public hearing is not being live-streamed, the Post is posting updates from reporter Adriana Hernandez, who is in the courtroom. Check this page throughout the day for Hernandez’s latest.
11 a.m. — For the past week, lawyers for the county have been presenting their case as to why Corpus should be removed. Then Corpus’ attorneys will have their chance to rebut the county’s case.
The county called their second-to-last witness, detective Jeffery Morgan, who testified he heard San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus call Capt. Rebecca Albin, a “jew b****.
Then former assistant sheriff Ryan Monaghan took the stand. Corpus fired Monaghan after she learned he spoke to Cordell for her investigation.
Later, however, County Manager Mike Callagy blocked Monaghan’s firing, fearing it would result in another lawsuit against the county due to Corpus’ actions. Callagy kept Monaghan on the county payroll until he was hired by District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe to work in a newly-created position as director of a project to combat human trafficking throughout the county. Monaghan and Callagy previously worked together in the San Mateo Police Department.
Monaghan today recalled when he joined the sheriff’s office. He said he was contacted by Paul Kunkel, who was part of Corpus’s transition team, who asked him to join her executive team. He said Corpus’s plans to improve the sheriff’s office aligned with his, so he decided to join Corpus.
When he joined, Aenlle questioned Monaghan about his loyalty to Corpus, Monaghan said.
Brook Dooley, an attorney for the county, asked Monaghan about the interactions he witnessed between Corpus and Aenlle.
Monaghan said Corpus and Aenlle would share plates and drinks. Aenlle also knew what kind of wine Corpus liked, Monaghan said. Aenlle would pick up Corpus’ children and bring them to the office, Monaghan said.
Dooley asked Monaghan about a conversation he had with Lt. Jonathan Sebring about a time when he saw Jenna McAlpin, a civilian employee who worked for Aenlle, crying.
Monaghan said McAlpin told him she was crying because Aenlle accused her of posting denigrating content about Corpus on social media.
McAlpin said she felt intimidated by Aenlle, according to Monaghan.
Monaghan said he told Corpus that McAlpin was going to submit a complaint to HR. Corpus said she had already heard about the situation it from Aenlle.
Later, Aenlle approached Monaghan to tell him he didn’t like how the McAlpin situation was handled and felt that he had been undermined, Monaghan said.
Corpus was initially very collaborative, but over time became more authoritarian, Monaghan said.
Monaghan described Aenlle as dictatorial and would use fear as a tactic to get them to do what he wanted.
When Albin told Corpus she was leaving to work for another law enforcement agency, Corpus told Monaghan that Albin was disrespectful for taking a vacation during her final two weeks on the job.
Corpus asked Monaghan to collect Albin’s badge, but he said it could’ve been seen as retaliation, and did not do so.
Noon — Dooley asked Monaghan about the notice of complaint that former Capt. Brian Philip was asked to sign regarding Sgt. Javier Acosta.
Philip was afraid to sign it because he was concerned the complaint lacked information, Monaghan said.
Monaghan was then ordered to sign the notice by Undersheriff Dan Perea and complied, he said.
Acosta was ultimately placed on leave after rumors of him having an inappropriate relationship with an intern started, according to a legal claim he has filed with the county. He was placed under house arrest without cause, according to his claim, and received a letter from the sheriff’s office saying he was under internal investigation. Acosta has denied the allegations regarding the intern. His brother, Sgt. Hector Acosta, said in his own claim that Javier was placed on leave in retaliation for his role as head of the sergeant’s union.
When Kunkel left the executive team, Monaghan said his workload doubled. He felt like he was juggling more than his predecessors, Monaghan said.
Monaghan said there was a moment when he realized he wasn’t being given information when an email went out to employees saying former Undersheriff Chris Hsiung was leaving and Perea was taking his place.
He had previously asked Corpus if there was a new undersheriff, but she never mentioned that a recruiting firm was already looking for a new person, Monaghan said.
Dooley asked Monaghan about any conversations he had after testifying for the Cordell report.
There was a conversation on Sept. 17, in which Aenlle, in an agitated voice, asked him if he had spoken to Cordell, to which he responded yes, Monaghan said.
“That’s just great Ryan. When were you planning on telling all of us?” Aenlle said in a condescending tone, according to Monaghan.
When Corpus would speak about the Cordell report, she would refer to it as a “witch hunt,” Monaghan said.
Monaghan was ordered to go to Corpus’s office on Sept. 20, where she said she had heard him say negative things about her and couldn’t trust him anymore. Perea walked him out and once they arrived at Monaghan’s office, Perea asked him to hand over his badge.
“I knew I was being terminated,” Monaghan said, surprised by the decision because there was no prior discussion or paperwork filled out.
Thomas Mazzucco, attorney for Corpus, asked Monaghan if sharing a sandwich meant someone was in a relationship, referring to Corpus and Aenlle sharing food. Monaghan responded no.
1 p.m. — Corpus’s legal team called up their first witness, Millbrae City Manager Thomas Williams, in an attempt to refute the damaging claims made by Corpus’ former friend, Associate Management Analyst Valerie Barnes.
Williams said that he had daily communication with Corpus when she was chief of the sheriff’s Millbrae bureau prior to her election as sheriff in 2022.
Mazzucco asked Williams about his relationship with Barnes.
Barnes would often ask if Williams would help her if Callagy cut her job from the budget, Williams said.
When Barnes did not receive a promotion after Corpus won the election, she would make “aggressive remarks” against Corpus, Williams said.
“I’m going after that f****** b****. She’s not gonna know what hit her,” Barnes said, according to Williams.
After the Cordell report was released, Williams was surprised that Cordell hadn’t contacted him since he had also worked with Corpus in Millbrae.
Dooley also asked Williams about the current job Barnes has in Millbrae. Williams said she was great at her job and helped with planning an event for the city this weekend. He said they still work with each other despite the comments she made about Corpus.
Williams said that he believed Callagy was behind a political conspiracy, but the hearing officer, retired Judge James Emerson, asked him to stop because he wasn’t answering a question.
Corpus’ legal team then called Aenlle as their next witness.
2 p.m. — Aenlle said he has been married for 32 years to the same woman. He was motivated to get his PhD in leadership after a conversation with his daughter.
Aenlle said he started thinking of working in law enforcement after his brother was killed.
“I’ve done everything on my own,” Aenlle said.
Wilson Leung, attorney for Corpus, presented information from the state’s police standards commission that showed that Aenlle has been working in the sheriff’s office since 2019 under three different sheriffs.
Aenlle said he had gained experience in working on homicide cold cases and was very instrumental when searching databases. He said he was also a range instructor for eight years until he was removed when he started working on Corpus’s campaign.
Aenlle said that his gold badge was issued by former Sheriff Greg Munks when he was a reserve officer.
Aenlle took on many roles when he helped Corpus to ensure she was successful in her campaign, he said. He would pick up her children and would take care of her son at times, Aenlle said.
“We have a great friendship,” Aenlle said, referring to Corpus’s son.
Aenlle said when Corpus told him she was running, he knew she was going to win because she had the public behind her.
“She didn’t just win. The people spoke and wanted the change she was bringing,” Aenlle said.
2:45 p.m. — During the transition period between when Corpus was elected and when she took office, Aenlle said he noticed Jeff Kernan and Lt. Dan Guiney had an agenda. Specifically, Kernan’s demeanor toward Corpus was as if he were pushing his own agenda, Aenlle said.
Corpus wasn’t handed down anything when she became sheriff from the previous administration, not even a pencil, Aenlle said. So when Corpus asked him for help during her trip to Hawaii, Aenlle said he didn’t hesitate to say yes.
Aenlle said he didn’t know at the time why Corpus’ husband didn’t go.
After he returned from Hawaii, County Manager Mike Callagy canceled his contract to work on the transition team, Aenlle said.
Were Corpus and Aenlle having an affair? Aenlle said that despite “everyone going down the path” that he and Corpus are in a relationship, no one has provided evidence that they were together. Aenlle denied being in a romantic relationship with Corpus.
Corpus felt that his background and the two years working closely together made him a good candidate for chief of staff, Aenlle said.
Aenlle said he was wrongfully fired after the Cordell report was released. He said the report has a lot of errors, and he hasn’t been given the opportunity to clear his name.
“That report led to my wrongful termination,” Aenlle said.
Aenlle said he asked for a pay bump because he was working on 12 projects, but when Corpus asked for anything, it was never an easy process.
Leung asked Aenlle if he had ever seen a copy of the Meliora Public Safety Consulting report.
In April 2024, the consulting firm was hired to investigate the strengths and weaknesses of the sheriff’s office.
In previous testimony, the county’s attorneys presented the email change where the Meliora sent a draft of its report to Corpus, Aenlle and Hsiung. The draft said Aenlle’s role as executive director, chief of staff and head of the administration division was “too much for one person.”
Aenlle said he didn’t receive a draft of the report.
Aenlle testified about his relationship with former Undersheriff Chris Hsiung.
Aenlle said his issues with Hsiung started in the office when he noticed Hsiung would undermine Corpus. Aenlle said Hsiung is a man with no backbone and would fall asleep during meetings.
Leung asked to show a video of Hsiung sleeping, but Emerson said Aenlle’s testimony was enough.
Leung showed an image of Hsiung’s face on a milk carton, asking, “Have you seen me?” to show how he would be mocked by others in the office.
Aenlle said the Perea is the best undersheriff he has seen.
“But most importantly, Dan Perea knew his position. His position was not to undermine (Corpus),” Aenlle said.
4 p.m — Aenlle said that when Hsiung told Corpus he was resigning, he said Monaghan wouldn’t be a good fit.
Hsiung was upset with Monaghan because he would struggle with fulfilling tasks, according to Aenlle.
Aenlle said he would spend time with Monaghan in similar activities, such as playing golf, until he started lying.
When Monaghan told Aenlle he spoke to Cordell, Aenlle said it was non-confrontational and thought it was a good thing he spoke to Cordell.
Corpus is accused of firing Monaghan in retaliation for his participation in the Cordell report, in part based on his conversation with Aenlle.
Aenlle also said Capt. Brian Philip was another deputy who wasn’t doing his job. Philip resigned after refusing to arrest deputies’ union president Carlos Tapia for alleged time card fraud, charges that the DA’s office ultimately threw out.
Aenlle said he wasn’t involved in Tapia’s investigation except for arranging a meeting between Payroll Supervisor Joann Lov and former Assistant Sheriff Matthew Fox.
Corpus testified last week that Aenlle had no involvement in the Tapia investigation. Fox testified that Aenlle called the meeting with Lov because he trusts her.
Leung asked Aenlle about Jennifer Valdez, who worked as an executive assistant in the sheriff’s office for 18 years.
Valdez testified that she heard Aenlle say “te amo,” which is “I love you” in Spanish, to Corpus because of how close her desk was to his office. Aenlle said her desk isn’t near his office and doesn’t remember taking a phone call from Corpus around her.
Leung asked Aenlle about the memo Undersheriff Dan Perea wrote to Corpus regarding the codes to open the gun safe in Corpus’ office at 330 Bradford St.
Leung asked Aenlle about the former Sheriff’s Office Criminal Records Manager Jenna McAlpin’s allegations that he had accused her of posting denigrating content about Corpus on social media.
Aenlle said he was the victim in the situation. During the conversation, he had wanted to clear it up, but the situation escalated after she started crying.
McAlpin was a friend and that is the honest truth, Aenlle said.
“We are dealing with lying cops,” Aenlle said, referring to witness accounts in the Cordell report that has now led to this hearing.
“Sheriff Corpus and I will be friends till the end,” Aenlle said.
Brook Dooley, an attorney for the county, asked Aenlle if he “admired” Corpus and if he saw her as “beautiful.”
Aenlle quickly clarified that he didn’t admire her and only saw her as a beautiful human being who treated everyone equally.
Dooley asked if Corpus had visited Aenlle’s ranch recently.
“I think she’s been a little busy. I don’t think horses and ranches are her top priority,” Aenlle said.
5 p.m. — When Aenlle was interviewed by Cordell last year, he didn’t mention that he had gone to Hawaii to help Corpus with her children.
Dooley today asked Aenlle why he didn’t say that then, even though he’s saying it now. He said Cordell didn’t ask him.
In the interview with Cordell last year, Aenlle said he was on the same plane as Corpus because he was going to there to protect a high net-worth client, whose identity he wouldn’t reveal.
Dooley presented Aenlle’s LinkedIn profile and asked about the list of 63 skills he has listed and if he had an expertise in all of them.
Aenlle said they were things he has experience in.
Dooley asked him about this testimony, where he was being critical of sworn-in officers, but Aenlle said it wasn’t fair to say he was critical of them because he “just spoke the truth.”
Dooley asked Aenlle if it was true that he is always armed. Aenlle said he has been armed every day since he was 24, but today was an exception in respect of Emerson, the hearing officer.
Why is Sheriff Corpus biased towards Jews, lesbians and black people? I thought she was a Sheriff we could trust. I for one wouldn’t trust her around married men.
Little Vicky is a BIG BIG LIAR!!!!! Its called perjury and the charges are coming for you and your nasty girlfriend Corpus! Just unbelievable!
Wow! Tiny Victor’s great big ego is really shining through in his tesitimony! Hsiung, Monaghan, Phillip, Kearnan and Guiney – all career cops who rose to substantial leadership roles in multiple Agencies in the Bay Area and have the training and credentials to justify their ranks – are all apparently inept in the eyes of a realtor with ZERO experience in leadership and NONE of the required training. Everyone else is lying, and they’re all out to get Corpus and her little paramour… Yeah, Victor, that it TOTALLY believable… right…
Perhaps VicTina doesn’t define their situation as a relationship. Perhaps it’s defined as a Friends with Benefits or Situationship.
Or perhaps they don’t define it in present tense. i.e. They were in a relationship and no longer are in one at this precise moment in time while testifying.
So Victors married huh?? Must be hard to be married to a woman who lives across the country.
I wonder if a jeweler had to resize Aenlle’s wedding ring to help it fit today for his testimony, as he hasn’t worn it in years. There’s no gold wedding ring on his left hand in press conference photos, publicity photos like the parade photo with Fox, or during his interviews with Dan Noyes and Univision. Look for yourself. The photos don’t lie.
“I’ve done everything on my own,” Aenlle said. Except passing FTO. The good doctor looks like he’s put on some weight… everything ok???
Victor says he wasn’t armed in court out of respect for the judge. That’s BS. He only allowed to carry a concealed weapon because he has a CCW issued by Corpus. That doesn’t give him the right to carry the gun into the courthouse. If this wannabe cop had carried the gun into the hearing, he would have been arrested on the spot, before he had a chance to testify.
Ya… I spent 20+ years going in and out of the Courthouse. No guns. Who gives 2 clucks about a CCW for some civilian. In fact, it is asking for trouble to carry if not LE, just leave it at home in the safe. You shoot someone as a civ, your life is over, as you know it. Enjoy being in the Hotel Graybar, for murder or at least manslaughter. I practice what I was taught, in a serious situation… RUN!
Regarding Victor’s gold badge – the one the Sheriff Munks issued to him (he did not GIVE it to Victor, because it is not his to keep!) was a Reserve badge, which Victor would rightfully wear WHILE PERFORMING RESERVE DEPUTY DUTIES. The badge that he wore while serving under Corpus said “Chief of Staff” on the rocker, where it would normally say “Deputy”, “Sergeant”, “Lieutenant”, “Captain” etc. In other words, to denote rank, which a civilian employee DOES NOT HAVE! He wore it as a badge of rank, trying to portray himself as being equivalent to an Assistant Sheriff, which he admitted to in interviews with Judge Cordell. Civilian employees- which is what he was as Chief of Staff – normally do NOT recieve badges, and they do NOT wear uniforms! He was fronting rank and authority over Sworn Staff that he did NOT have, because that is where his outsized ego led him, and this is where the problems started. He wanted to pretend to be something he was not – a command-level Law Enforcement Officer. He was never anything more than a Reserve, which is an honorable position, but that was not enough for his big ego, which has always seemed like he’s trying to compensate for something with. This whole controversy started with his ego, and Corpus’ inexcusable enablement of it…
Former Chief of Staff Aenlle is claiming that his brother was murdered? Look it up , there is no record that it was a murder. A tragedy, but not murder . Another conspiracy theory by a truly despicable human. The man has no limits to how low he will go.
He proved he’s a liar, by saying his brother was murdered. I know the family and I know 110% his brother was not murdered. It was an accident. If you can lie about that, you can lie about anything.
You’re right. Many moons ago, Victor asked for a second look at the circumstances surrounding his brother’s death. Yup, ruled an accident.
Vicky continues to be the lying, controlling and evil creep he has always been. No change. Trust nothing he says. You are not a big man by carrying a gun or wearing a uniform you never earned. You denigrate all those honest, dedicated folks who do serve and put their lives on the line every day. You ever do a felony arrest ? Nope. A high risk warrant ? Nope. A SWAT call ? Nope. Love that badge though ! You deceitful bum. Go back to coast side realty.
Let’s do the math little Vicky… You started at the SO IN 2019? You were a range guy for 8 years but stopped in 2022? Typo or you couldn’t keep track of your Napoleonic Complex lies?
You did nothing more than organize files for Cold Case Homicides. You were an over glorified secretary who happened to be a RESERVE Deputy – not the real thing. Because let’s face it, you could never cut it or even pass the POST background investigation for REAL Deputy. Your ego is repulsive.
Your lies are catching up to you and Christy! You should probably try to cut a deal now to save your meat. Remember, there are no conjugal cells/visits in federal prison.
Wow…can’t believe these responses incredible that you all live with your heads in the sand. A woman doing her job and having to defend her decisions are so common nowadays. The corporate bullying should stop. Sheriff Corpus has my full support. If you don’t like the way she manages leave. It’s that simple instead of wasting tax payor dollars let her continue to the job she was hired and get rid of the bullies in the office.
Talk about head in the sand. Corpus is wasting tax payers dollars. You can’t run the Sheriff’s Office with lies, intimidation and corruption. I am sure once she is removed, she will be arrested.
He pregnant with Corpus’s baby.
Da plane Da plane!
Wait? A car crash off a cliff is murder?
Hsiung said ALL positive things about Monaghan and his work performance on the stand?
Hawaii is a trip to help with kids or a trip to work for a client?
How much involvement and influence does this friend have?
Pretty sure we all can piece together these conflicts of interest. Good Bye little lying unqualified man. More than a few pieces missing inside that man.
Riddle me this…” Aenlle said that his gold badge was issued by former Sheriff Greg Munks when he was a reserve officer.”
How did Greg Munks issue him a gold badge with a “Chief of Staff” on it. I am assuming he might have at least two or more and forgot there is a photo out there with Fox in Half Moon Bay with the Chief of Staff on his gold badge! Oh Dr Vicky…you are stepping in the manure piles again.
Did Corpus advertise the job of “chief of staff” to find the best candidate? And how is Aenlle qualified? He never passed FTO nor worked a day in his life as a regular full-time peace officer. And his business background is limited to real estate sales, and nothing about managing a large organization. How did he get this job? Looks like Christy made a helluva mistake hiring him.
What happened to Aenlle? Scruffy ,half grown in beard, overweight. It appears that he is wearing a bulletproof vest, could it be that with his huge ego he thinks he is so important that someone wants to take him out? The paranoia and conspiracy theories that run through this guys head are concerning. If you’re old enough to remember , let’s not forget what happened in SF with Dan White in 1978.
Dutchess you have ZERO clue about reality. YOU are the one with YOUR head in the sand. Mr (not fake paper mill doctor) Anenlle failed FTO and 100% has terrorized the Office with his not so secret girlfriend. If you have been reading the updates or sitting in court, there have been have several highly respected law enforcement professionals who all have impeccable credentials, careers, and highly respected in this field that have ALL testified under penalty of perjury that this has been going on. Why has almost everyone who was originally part of Christy’s executive team all resigned or been fired? Christy has scraped the bottom of the barrel to find Undersheriff Dan Perea and if she is such a great leader why has she had such a hard time finding two Assistant Sheriff’s? Why? Let me tell you that nobody want to work for her or Victor. Victor is not a POST certified sworn peace officer and has NO business making executive decisions for sworn personnel. All the Office Reserve Deputies wear silver stars yet Victor likes to play dress up and wears gold star. Victor has never made a felony arrest (even during his failed attempt at FTO), never made a gang arrest or done a gang validation, never written a search warrant or executed a high risk search warrant, and most importantly he is a cancer to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. He does NOT have the best interests of citizens of the County of San Mateo but only cares about his big ego and being a dictator by intimidation. He is unethical, lies, and has committed perjury under oath. I could go on with multiple first hand incidents but one that really stood out was when a Deputy at the checkpoint of HOJ was fighting on the ground with a person and FORMER reserve deputy Victor walked out with Christy holding hands and Christy’s children. Neither of them helped the Deputy who was by himself as he fought with the subject. Interesting fact this, them holding hands, was caught on security cameras but the following day the video had been deleted from the county server. So before you support a Sheriff We Can’t Trust, have your facts straight.
Hopefully Aenlle and Corpus can share a prison cell when they are both convicted of perjury.
On good authority, Victor never “worked” a cold case homcide. Maybe, like a summer intern, he might of organized the case binders. Or as a “gopher” he might of booked evidence. Ask the current cold case detectives, or ask the past and present detective Sgts.
When Victor commented he has been married to the same women for 32 years, the county attorney should of turned toward the gallery and asked, “Is she here today to support you?” The word on the street is his bride lives out-of-state.