(Read Attachment to Corpus statement.)
(Read the county’s statement.)
Hearing officer James Emerson, a retired judge hired by San Mateo County to hear evidence against Sheriff Christina Corpus, released a report today (Oct. 6) saying he had found cause to fire her for nepotism and improperly firing the deputy sheriffs’ union president.
Corpus, who was accused by more than 40 of her employees in two investigatory reports, said the firing process was “unconstitutional, corrupt and fundamentally unfair.”
Emerson found against her on three of 18 counts.
She said the Board of Supervisors wrote the rules for the firing process, conducted the investigation and will now act as “judge and jury.”
But the county said in a statement that “in his opinion, Emerson concluded that Corpus used her office to benefit (former chief of staff) Victor Aenlle with whom she has a close personal relationship outside the boundaries of a professional working relationship, directed the arrest of the deputy sheriffs’ union president without probable cause and retaliated against a captain who refused to take part in what he believed to be an unlawful personnel action.”
She said she has asked California Attorney General Rob Bonta to intervene “to stop an unlawful and dangerous abuse of power in San Mateo County.
The Board of Supervisors can meet within 24 hours of getting Emerson’s report. The county has not announced when the supervisors will meet.
A question at this point is who will succeed Corpus. By state law, Undersheriff Dan Perea will become the next sheriff, but he doesn’t live in San Mateo County, which is required to serve as sheriff. If a county resident is appointed to the job, that person will be seen as Corpus’ heir apparent.
But Emerson wrote, “Based upon the evidence and argument presented, it is the undersigned Hearing Officer’s opinion that the County had cause, under Section 412.5 (of the County Charter), to remove appellant Sheriff Corpus.”
Emerson delivered the opinion to the county and Corpus today, according to the statement from the county. Under Measure A, the county’s voters approved a process for the Board of Supervisors to fire another office holder for cause.
In their statement, county officials said Emerson determined that Corpus used her position to create and fund positions for Victor Aenlle, writing “Although vehemently denied by appellant and Victor Aenlle, the evidentiary record is highly suggestive that appellant Sheriff Corpus and Mr. Aenlle were in a romantic extra-marital relationship preceding appellant Sheriff Corpus’ election to office and continuing thereafter.”
Emerson also found that Corpus was guilty because:
• she carried on a “close personal relationship” with Victor Aenlle, her chief of staff
• she used her position to arrest and jail Deputy Sheriff Carlos Tapia, who is head of the deputies union. She allegedly wanted to retaliate against him for statements he made criticizing her.
• she engaged in “retaliation against Capt. Brian Philip, who refused to deliver an Internal Affairs notice (because) he believed it was improper and could violate state law,” the county said in its statement. “Emerson concluded that Philip’s refusal was protected under state laws and that his transfer by Corpus was retaliatory.”
Emerson told the Post that it took him a long time to write his 42-page recommendation, because he found three main reasons to fire Corpus. He said he found enough evidence that showed Corpus has failed as sheriff. However, Corpus has been OK as a sheriff in some areas, Emerson said, but didn’t specify which areas, which are listed in the report but not disclosed in the county’s statement.
Corpus used her position as sheriff to benefit her former chief of staff, Victor Aenlle, with whom she also has a close relationship, according to Emerson via the county’s statement.
Even though it has been heavily denied by Corpus and Aenlle, the evidence shows their close relationship crossed boundaries of a professional working relationship, Emerson said.
Emerson also found the arrest of the deputies’ union president, Carlos Tapia, on timecard fraud allegations was unlawful. District Attorney declined to file charges against Tapia, saying no crime had been committed.
Lt. Brandon Hensel’s testimony accusing Tapia of timecard fraud during the hearing was more credible than Corpus’s, according to Emerson.
Corpus’s claims of her investigation into Tapia were questionable, and Emerson came to the conclusion that it was retaliation, he wrote.
Corpus also retaliated against Capt. Brian Philip. Philip said he was transferred to another part of the sheriff’s office after he refused to start an internal affairs investigation into Sgt. Javier Acosta, the brother of sergeant’s union president Hector Acosta. He was also ordered to arrest Tapia, but he transferred instead, Philip testified.
Return to padailypost.com for more on this developing story.
FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!! GET OUT CORPUS!!! NOBODY WANTS YOU!!! N.O.B.O.D.Y
Ashamed to have known you. What a disappointment you are.
Pack your trash Corpus. The end is near! You’ll be a lowly, washed-up, has-been, civilian come Thursday. Couldn’t happen to a nicer person (sarcasm!).
Baby don’t leave me.
What a shame for you peers that you worked with. You should not ever fill a position in this caliber again. Same goes for the santa Clara county Sheriff former leader who was ousted. You are in a position to lead, protect and serve your community. Hope you learn a lesson from all of this.
We want a Department to support each other. Been in law enforcement a long time and see this as a dysfunctional group of people. You can also tell by the officers in the field. Very weak Department. Stop finger pointing and work as a team.
Fact- Corpus was found guilty on 15 of 18 counts.
Lie- Corpus wrote in that illiterate letter that she was exonerated 15 out of the 18 charges
Fact- Corpus is a liar and needs to learn how to read!!!! Good Lord…if her high priced lawyers wrote that she should ask for a refund!!!!!!! Now let the criminal proceedings commence!!!!!!
I’m all for a refund of the legal fees, particularly because the County has been paying them!
Are you retired capt Stuart who served under sheriff Earl whitmore?
She was found guilty of 3 counts, but that’s enough. Time for her to go.
What in world is this woman reading and responding to. She was found GUILTY of “fireable” offenses and violating state laws. Why on earth is she continuing to fight this battle ?
Prayers that this saga will end and she will be FIRED finally! What does she think Bonta’s response to a letter highlighting and outlining more offenses. Unreal. This has got to stop. This is such deceptive behavior, she is just defiant and delusional.
When someone is innocent , they will continue to fight. Sheriff Corpus is a good person and cares about the people she serves. When someone comes in and sees something is not right and tries to correct it, those engaging in the wrong doing will try to do all they can to stop you from rocking the boat. Sheriff Corpus has been a victim and is being forced out so those that are left behind can continue what they were doing before she was elected into her position. God bless her and shame to all those people that have lied and wronged her . You all who you are and think about if someone did this to to you all that have made it nothing more than retaliation against sheriff Corpus for trying to fight corruption that existed when she took office.
OK Vicky!! Whatever you say…LOL
Apparently, you too have been fooled by this malicious Black widow Dictator! Don’t upset her or you too will be joining the list of victims she has retaliated against. She has pitted people against each other her entire career. The only reason she fights the fight is because she is delusional and refuses to take responsibility for her own behavior. She has lied so much she doesn’t know reality anymore. Look at her inner circle. SHE is the Diva of the Good Ole Boys club.
The BOS needs to act swiftly. The Sheriff’s Office and citizens of San Mateo County have suffered long enough.
Three independent investigations. Three findings of culpable wrong doing by Corpus worthy of terminating her. Come on Board of Supes, the People – via Measure A – and three independent legal investigations have all reached the same conclusion. She’s violated her Oath of Office and the public trust. Fire this corrupt idiot, and tell her to take her evil, manipulative, narcissist,fake PhD toting little leprechaun boy friend with her. And good luck in Hell to them both with the mountain of civil – and likely criminal – charges awaiting them!
She dod not improperly fire the head of the Deputy Sheriff’s Association – she unjustly ARRESTED him, without Probable Cause, violating his Constitutional Rights and likely committing a Federal felony! She did lots of other crooked stuff too – like hiring her boyfriend, an unqualified dork who’d failed the basic Field Training Program required of all basic Deputies, and allowing him to micromanage her and every other Command Staff member who was infinitely more qualified to command than he was. Maybe don’t allow fools who freeze when guns are drawn to be the boss of those who have actually walked that walk… But enough, I guess. It’s all been said for more than a year and a half. Please let this end…
The Judge found “multiple” grounds to remove the Sheriff including 3 reasons to fire the Sheriff.
The Sheriff replies with a letter that says 15 allegations were sustained. Huh? The Judge listed 3 reasons to fire her and she wants us to ignore those reasons of nepotism, retaliation and civil rights violations! She would like us to ignore the 15 other wrongdoings that the Judge found issues with!l I hope we get to read all of the 42 pages and then re-read what the Sheriff wrote- to clearly see how corrupt she is. Her final jab at being a woman and latina and the good old boys club. What a piece of garbage. She needs to be fired , go to massive therapy day for years. She is narcissistic and beyond immoral. Just, wow!
So much time, work, people involved to oust an unqualified employee.
To be terminated from a government job is an extreme process that goes beyond being fair.
So much time, expenses wasted.
Unless you are one of the staff being retaliated against for standing against corrupt practices. ANYONE that stood / spoke against her has been retaliated against. You have no idea what she has done to the careers of the good, hardworking staff employed by the SO.
Good riddance to bad garbage, FINALLY ! Include mini-me please, just go away, both of you. I hope you two live happily on mini’s farm ever after. Why has this whole excruciating process taken so long ? Also I, as a voter, request the BoS produce the bills for her legal costs, not that her lawyers have been much better than a 1st year law student on drugs, what a bunch of bumbling clowns, just like her. But expensive. I want pictures of her carrying her boxes out of the office. Let the civil and criminal lawsuits commence, and since you will no longer be a County employee, it will be on your dime, not ours. Oh.. last thing, I do not want that creep Perea “The Bum” to fill in on anything, he needs to follow his boss out the door asap too. SamTrans is hiring drivers, I hear. Go for it Sir !
What A Wonderful Day!
Winter Came For House VicTina.
A photograph of Corpus taking the walk of shame out of the Maguire building while carrying a sad banker box of her Star Wars office knick knacks would win a Pulitzer Prize.
What about the 7 inmate deaths that happened under her watch??
Another BOS meeting has come and gone without even a mention of scheduling a public meeting to hold a vote and move on with this process? Meanwhile, a hardworking, family-centric, labor leader, and distinguished public servant, who was “unlawfully arrested” remains on administrative leave for nearly the past year…Carlos Tapia. Yet, our elected officials have “meandered” through this entire process without any semblance of urgency. Numerous in-custody deaths, a myriad of lawsuits against SMCO, and countless lives of dedicated employees have been negatively and appreciably impacted by Corpus and her “leadership team” and here we are…just another day! If Corpus was the CEO of a major company, really any company, the BOD would have tossed her on her ass within hours. But instead, our entire process of dealing with remiss and frankly “blatant” criminal misconduct and the protracted and ineffective means to address it reflects a much greater problem with the overall system of government. All that said…to the SMCO BOS…we, the people deserve better. Now do your job, make finishing what you started a priority AND get it done!
The reason crime is down is the deputies don’t take reports. You call them about a break in that just occurred and they tell you to report it online. They don’t canvas the neighborhood, take fingerprints, etc.
But didn’t more people (the actual vote count) was more for Measure A than there was to elect her?
Now that the civil stuff is just about over, how about the criminal investigation/charges should kick in. False arrest and violation of civil rights to me seem to be on the top of the list.
I agree the Board needs to act fast before more damage can be done. It has already taken too long.
The Sheriff read crime statistics to Jackie Speier and said crime was up under her watch? Jackie questioned Corpus and she said crime goes up and down. Most apparent is not being present for your job maked it hard to pass along accurate information.
We warned you in the beginning Christina that Victor was a toxic pariah. You would have gotten those messages, had Victor not instructed the admins not to allow anyone near you; no mail, no email, no phone calls, no visitors or staff to have any contact with you without going through him first. Your repulsive dedication to him was nauseating to watch let alone work with.
Interesting how Victor donned his wedding ring the day of his testimony IFO Judge Emerson, claiming his love and support of family standing by his side. I wonder if Marina has anything to say about that from wherever she lives now — out of state — hiding from him and his plethora of lies and deceit.
With whatever scars remain Christina, we will restore what you have destroyed. You’ve heard the song … and on your way out the door you can sing along:
Here’s to the Sheriff’s Office, once proud and true.
May we rise from the ashes stronger than we knew.
(Your) havoc may linger, but we’ll rebuild our home.
Wrecked and ruined but never alone.
Why has there been comments that Victor’s wife doesn’t live in the state? Bad info . CRISTINA is not the only woman in Vic’s life that has been brainwashed. Tina is disgusting and no where near the woman his wife is.
And VICTOR is a fraud, adulterer and a complete piece of trash.
Once again another document delivered to the county and delivered to the Sheriff and the Sheriff has her own interpretation that ignores the 3 things listed as why she should be FIRED. She ignores wrongdoing, ignores HER civil rights violations, ignores HER retaliation and ignores HER NEPOTISM violations! the public has not read the document nor seen what the judge says about these 15 items the Sheriff claims she was exonerated from. This article eludes that the Sheriff actually was found GUILTY of more issues than just 3- perhaps all 15 she was found to violate and have been also wrongdoings.
If the Sheriff sends this document she drafted to the Attorney General I hope he can have a talk with her to step down for the mess she has caused and stop this nonsense about a good ole boys club, gender issues and race issues. This woman needs serious counseling and is mentally unfit. This is a law enforcement division not a reality show or a game to make with the public. 90,000 people voted for Measure A . Yes a recall would be effective, and she obviously wants someone to come out of pocket for that, but in January 2025 the recall would not have been on the ballot until March 2026 – and here we battling with measure A.
What about the Fiscal Director that helped her “spend” the 300 Million, who’s been “out of the office” since all this started? Should they share a room at Hotel Maple Street Correctional?
Instead of defending the Constitution Corpus broke the law, numerous times, and now it’s clear she lied under oath. I wonder what consequences Corpus will face if any. Removal is one thing, but Justice is another. So far justice has not been served. It will be interesting to see what actions the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office takes after Corpus is removed.
Wasn’t Sheriff Corpus elected in a non presidential year? If that is so, wouldn’t Bonta side that her election is invalid? She was elected in 2022.
Bonta pushed back and sued in Fresno that elected officials must be elected in presidential election years only. So, if this is the case then what am I missing. Shouldn’t Bonta be questioning an “elected” Sheriff in San Mateo in 2022?
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 1300 of the Elections Code is repealed.
SEC. 2. Section 1300 is added to the Elections Code, to read:
1300. (a) (1) An election to select a district attorney and sheriff shall be held with the presidential primary.
One down… Now for the Grand Jury trial, a determination by California AG Bonta and the final ruling from Federal Judge Chhabria. Whew, what a lot of effort to correct a mistake.
While I’m not advocating for privatization, if there was ever an argument pro, this would be it. A private security organization would have had a new leadership team installed months ago, with higher levels of oversight by the board, and an HR department manned with lawyers.
I have new appreciation for public servants who can weather these protracted, yet necessary procedures. As a voter, I vow to do better next time. Remediation takes too long. Here’s hoping that the BoS can find interim replacement(s) quickly – so many vacancies – and the employees can have some stability.
Pack your bags Christina and head over to SamCera. Your law enforcement career is over. You couldn’t get hired as a dog-catcher
Looking over the documents the Palo Alto POST provided, that letter to Bonta is not Ms. Corpus’s regular signature. It could be either finger docusigned or forged. Has she become incapacitated to the point where she now has a representative signing for her, or was that document sent without her approval? Enquiring minds want to know!
Christina’s good friend City Manager Tom Williams who testified on Corpus’ behalf got rid of the Captain’s position in Millbrae as a going away present for her. That’s right folks… no Police Chief in Millbrae. Pretty much the forgotten of the contract cities.
Not so fast Millbrae Mafia. Dirty Tom Williams will not be successful with his final act of loyalty to Sheriff Christy. Many votes and other approvals must take place. But again…Sheriff Christy would know nothing about that. Maybe its time to run Tommy Boy out of the Brea.