This story was printed first in Friday morning’s Daily Post.
BY NORAH SHEPPARD-HUTCHINS
Daily Post Staff Writer
San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe has decided he won’t bring charges against San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus, who was fired for retaliation, misconduct and abuse of power.
Wagstaffe said his office investigated the various controversies involving Corpus, including allegations that she misused public funds and wrongfully arrested Deputy Carlos Tapia. Wagstaffe did not describe any other specific controversies, but said his office looked into everything that led to Corpus’ removal from office on Oct. 14, 2025, by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.
Wagstaffe said his office closed its criminal investigation against Corpus earlier this year, after finding no evidence of a criminal law violation.
Corpus ordered the arrest of Tapia for felony timecard fraud on Nov. 12, 2024, after he criticized her in his role as president of the deputies’ union.
Tapia was never charged by Wagstaffe, who concluded Tapia should not have been arrested.
Wagstaffe said that although the incident was “abhorrent,” nothing constituted a violation of criminal law.
Wagstaffe’s office has been looking into Corpus and her former chief of staff Victor Aenlle since the county released a 400-page report by retired Judge LaDoris Cordell, who was hired to look into HR complaints about Aenlle.
Cordell’s report found that Corpus and Aenlle engaged in retaliation, intimidation, nepotism and had conflicts of interest.
Cordell said she has the utmost respect for Wagstaffe.
“Still, I am puzzled why he has declined to prosecute Christina Corpus for her arrest of Carlos Tapia for felony grand theft and felony timecard fraud, an arrest that Wagstaffe determined was improper. Specifically, he concluded that no crimes had been committed, there was no monetary loss, and that Tapia should not have been arrested. I’m left scratching my head and concerned about what message this decision sends to the rank-and-file,” Cordell said in an email to the Post.
Wagstatte also said his office is not pursuing any charges against Aenlle, who allegedly had an “intimate relationship” with Corpus and she elected him to the position of chief of staff despite not having any executive experience in law enforcement.
Corpus was removed from office after a 10-day hearing presided over by retired Judge James Emerson, who recommended supervisors fire her for nepotism in hiring Aenlle and illegally arresting Tapia.
Emerson also found that Corpus retaliated against Capt. Brian Philip when she transferred him to the jail after he refused to investigate Sgt. Javier Acosta, the brother of sergeants’ union president Hector Acosta.
Wagstaffe said although the criminal investigation has been closed, he still intends to prosecute four “accusations” brought by the civil grand jury against Corpus, which could bar her from holding public office.
The “accusations” are for arresting Tapia, reassigning Philip, failing to disclose her close relationship with Aenlle, and firing Assistant Sheriff Ryan Monaghan after he spoke with Cordell.
The civil grand jury has the power to remove an elected office holder such as the sheriff. But since she’s been fired, the only consequence she faces is being prohibited from holding elective office. A civil grand jury is a group of 19 citizens who act as a watchdog of local government. Members can volunteer to join and serve on the jury for a year. The grand jury’s accusation is prosecuted like a criminal trial, with a new jury of 12 that must reach a unanimous guilty verdict, beyond a reasonable doubt.
The allegations against Corpus began to mount shortly after she took office in January 2023. Employees complained about how they were treated by Aenlle. Aenlle allegedly berated employees, made captains report to him directly and inserted himself into investigations, even though he was unqualified to do so.
They also said Corpus allegedly made racist and anti-gay remarks. In addition, seven inmates died in the jail while she was sheriff, an unusually high number for a facility as small as San Mateo County’s.
Cordell found that Corpus and Aenlle had an “intimate relationship” — he bought her $1,200 Louboutin boots and $11,000 diamond earrings, took her to his coastside ranch and flew with her and her children to Maui.
Still, Cordell and Aenlle denied an intimate relationship.
However, Corpus found that Corpus violated conflict-of-interest rules when she hired Aenlle and repeatedly recommended pay raises for him.
“This relationship has led Sheriff Corpus to relinquish control of the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office to Aenlle, someone who has far more experience as a Coldwell Banker associate real estate broker than he has in law enforcement,” Cordell wrote in her re-port.
The Post reached out to Tapia and Philip’s attorneys but did not receive a response in time for publication.
San Mateo County has declined to say how much money it had spent on the various investigations, the legal fees from attorneys it hired, or the attorneys fees of Corpus’ counsel, who the county was required to pay. The county has an ordinance that says it will pay the attorneys fees of county officials who face legal actions.
They all protect each other in the county. She walks away with her $400,000 pension like nothing happened. Justice in this county is a joke.
Seems like the arrest of Carlos Tapia violates California Penal Code § 236 (False Imprisonment): The code definesfalse imprisonment as the unlawful violation of the personal liberty of another. When committed by a police officer without legal justification, a warrant, or probable cause, it serves as the basis for a false arrest.
If she told little Vicky to order an officer to arrest Tapia, that’s a criminal conspiracy.
No charges for impersonating a peace officer? Seriously?
Wagstaffe should have never headed this criminal investigation due to perceived or actual conflict & bias as he sat on the SAL Board with Corpus and Aenlle, as well as with a bunch of Aenlle’s real estate friends.
AG Bonta should have manned up to bring down the hammer of justice. But, Bonta is more focused on pursuing DC political issues than California issues.
The story says Wagstaffe closed the investigation earlier this year … but we’re finding out about it only now? … When was he going to tell us? … Did he tell Christina and Victor earlier, and it was their little secret? This doesn’t pass the smell test.
Neither Wagstaffe nor Bonta has been doing a good job for the people of CA instead of their own political ambitions. Shameful.
I’ll never forget Wagstaffe letting off some pervert who’d been threatening a woman for YEARS. Since she was a jail warden he even got himself arrested so he could be near his “true love” and she was forced to quit her job to escape him but he tracked her down again.
What was Wagstaffe’s response for letting off the stalker? “Oh, if he’d only threatened more women than just one single woman, we could have done something.”
Everything about Corpus is mind-boggling. This outcome is no exception. Also amazing is that she will receive a reported $402,338.28 and health benefits as a retiree. Whoever said crime doesn’t pay?