BY NORAH SHEPPARD-HUTCHINS
Daily Post Staff Writer
Former San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus has filed a claim against the county, saying it should have paid her legal fees in two lawsuits filed against her by a deputy and a former assistant.
Corpus claims the county has a legal obligation to pay for her attorney’s fees because the alleged incidents occurred during her employment with the sheriff’s office. The county stopped paying for Corpus’ defense after she was fired by the Board of Supervisors on Oct. 14, 2025.
Corpus wants reimbursement for defense fees and expenses in the Carlos Tapia and Valerie Barnes lawsuits, Kevin Ortiz, a spokesman for the San Francisco-based law firm, Quadra and Coll LLP, said in a statement yesterday.
“Officials cannot turn their hostility toward a former sheriff into a lawful basis for forcing her to personally finance the defense of claims arising from her public service,” said one of Corpus’ various attorneys, James Quadra.
Corpus requested a defense on April 17. However, the county denied her request on May 7 and again on July 21, according to Ortiz.
The Post reached out to County Attorney John Nibbelin for comment, but did not get a response in time for pub-lication.
Removal from office
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 former chief of staff Victor Aenlle and illegally arresting Deputy Carlos Tapia for felony time-card fraud on Nov. 12, 2024.
The county released a 400-page report about Corpus and Aenlle, written by retired Judge LaDoris Cordell, who was hired to look into HR complaints about Aenlle.
Cordell’s report 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, Corpus and Aenlle denied an intimate relationship. The county refused to pay for Aenlle’s, and former Undersheriff Dan Perea’s defense, who were sued by Tapia for arresting him for timecard fraud, discrimination and retaliation.
In her lawsuit, former assistant Barnes accused Corpus of retaliating against her after Barnes questioned the sheriff’s plans to hire Aenlle, Corpus’ alleged romantic partner who had worked on her election campaign.
No charges
San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe decided he won’t bring charges against Corpus, however, he still intends to prosecute four “accusations” brought by the civil grand jury against Corpus, which could bar her from holding public office.
The civil grand jury has the power to remove an elected officeholder 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.
If there are laws that require that taxpayers pay the legal fees for someone with this person’s record, those laws need to be changed. The amount of time, effort, and money expended on Corpus issues is ridiculous, especially considering her robust pension. It is long past time for all the Corpus-related nonsense to stop.