BY EMILY MIBACH
Daily Post Managing Editor
Another city is considering a no-confidence vote against San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus, who is accused of nepotism, racism, homophobia, abuse of power, retaliation, conflicts of interest and lies.
Millbrae has a resolution of no confidence on its agenda for Tuesday. Millbrae has a contract with the sheriff to perform police services, and Corpus was the captain assigned to run that bureau.
“As issues and concerning actions of the sheriff continue, members of the sheriff’s office, including the rank of captains and front-line deputies, have approached the members of the Millbrae City Council communicating their concern for the wellbeing of the staff, public safety delivery and calling on the City Council for a vote of no confidence on Sheriff Corpus,” says an unsigned report to the Millbrae council.
In November, the San Carlos City Council unanimously approved a no-confidence resolution. At that time, council members were harsh in their assessment of Corpus.
“It’s nothing less than a full spectrum failure of leadership,” said then-Mayor John Dugan.
The Board of Supervisors is asking county voters in a March 4 election to approve a county charter amendment that would give them the power to remove the sheriff. The authority to remove a sheriff would only last until 2028 when her term would end.
If the charter amendment fails, a group of residents led by former state Sen. Jerry Hill of San Mateo and former Caltrain/SamTrans CEO Jim Hartnett intends to recall Corpus.
Corpus has faced mounting calls to resign after the county released a scathing report by former Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge LaDoris Cordell that contained findings of “abuse of power, retaliation, intimidation, homophobia and racism in Corpus’ office.”
Corpus has repeatedly said she is facing opposition because she’s attempting to remove the “Good Old Boys” network from the sheriff’s office, and her critics are afraid of change. She has also said she’s being targeted because she’s a Latina.
She is accused of ignoring numerous complaints her employees have made about her former chief of staff Victor Aenlle, a real estate agent she hired who they claim is intimidating and retaliates against anyone who complains about him.
Corpus is also accused of nepotism by favoring Aenlle, with whom she was having an “intimate relationship,” according to Judge Cordell’s report.
“It is abundantly clear that Sheriff Corpus and Victor Aenlle have a personal relationship, beyond mere friendship. It is also clear that that relationship has led Sheriff Corpus to relinquish control of the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office to Victor Aenlle, someone who has far more experience as a Coldwell Banker associate real estate broker than he has in law enforcement. Indeed, Aenlle has no experience running a law enforcement agency.”
However, Aenlle showered Corpus with expensive gifts, according to Cordell’s report, including $1,200 Louboutin boots and $11,000 diamond earrings from Tiffany’s.
Corpus and Aenlle have denied having a romantic relationship.
And yet, there remains a segment of “ill-informed” and functionally delusional members of the community who believe that all this is just a “witch hunt,” predicated on keeping our first female, Latina-x sheriff down. WAKE UP people. Corpus has done more irreparable harm to her agency, the county, and the community at-large than any other elected official in the history of San Mateo County. “A sheriff you can trust.” What a shameful and despicable “punchline” Corpus has become!
When the only process the county has to remove the sheriff is through the Attorney General, the civil grand jury or recall election there is a big issue. These all take years and allow chaos and corruption to persist. These 14 charter counties need to align and unify with the 44 general California county rules. 44 California counties do not have these rule in place and allow the board of supervisors to remove a sheriff.
Stop the chaos. Vote yes on measure A , enough of this.
If one were to argue that Corpus does not have her own “good ole boys” network, one would have to consider that she alternatively has firmly embraced cronyism in her workplace. Webster defines evidence of cronyism, in part as, “the appointment of political hangers-on to office without regard to their qualifications.” That cronyism can be no clearly recognized than through Aenlle, and her other political backers to whom it appears she has awarded jobs and contracts. While public records act (PRA) requests for contracts from within the corrupt Corpus administrations may be returned with no results, similar PRAs to the county (who actually issued checks) may reveal different results.
Insofar as the Millbrae Council, among the first to unknowingly be recipients of the verbal, or written, wrath of Corpus through her text messages, they would be wise to follow the lead of the San Carlos City Council. I encourage the Millbrae Council to embrace, encourage and reaffirm their relationship with the personnel of the Sheriff’s Office who serve you so very well and professionally. That seems to be the path chosen by the elected officials in San Carlos. Simultaneously, if the Cordell Report, its supporting evidence of statements and other current events, as well as the cronyism of Corpus, support a perception of corruption that has permeated her administration and visibly seeped to the surface last summer, then vote your own conscience and that which is best for the community that you represent.
It seems while the people spoke in electing her then, much has changed since that election. The people are again speaking loudly and in a uniform broad desire, that they have no confidence in Corpus and the cronies in her team now. Back up and support the 800+ sheriff’s employees, not the politician and political cronies that are corrupt.