Day 1 of Corpus removal hearing — Sheriff addresses nepotism claim

Monday, Aug. 18, was the first day of a hearing in which San Mateo County Sheriff Christina 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.

12:45 p.m. — Christopher Ulrich, a lawyer for San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus, said in his opening statement this morning that her legal team will prove that there was “no nepotism, no retaliation, no misconduct” in the sheriff’s office — allegations the Board of Supervisors have made in voting to remove her.

Attorney Jan Little, representing the county, listed the witnesses who say that Corpus had a close relationship with former chief of staff Victor Aenlle, and that she engaged in retaliation, negligence and obstructed investigations. 

Former Undersheriff Chris Hsiung was the first witness called by Little. He said it was “difficult and frustrating” to work with Corpus. Hsiung was undersheriff from February 2023 before resigned in June 2024. Previously he was Mountain View’s police chief.

Hsiung testified about Corpus’s relationship with Aenlle. He said he saw “unusual behavior” between the two and watched them share food. 

Hsiung said he noticed Corpus and Aenlle would be on and offline at the same time on Signal, the app the sheriff’s office uses to communicate. 

After a few months, Hsiung said he noticed Corpus was “directive, not collaborative.”

In April 2024, a consulting firm, Meliora Public Safety, was hired to investigate the strengths, weaknesses of the sheriff’s office. 

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 and Corpus both reacted negatively toward the draft and had that portion of the draft was removed in the final version, according to Hsiung.

Hsiung said it was hard working with Corpus after she got angry when Capt. Rebecca Albin, who headed the coastside bureau, posted a farewell statement on Nextdoor without telling Corpus. Corpus wanted to revoke her email address and remove her access from social media, but Hsiung advised her not to do anything because it would look like retaliation. 

“I am so sick of people stepping all over us in fear of retaliation,” Corpus said to Hsiung, according to a photo of a text message shown during today’s hearing.

Corpus then locked Albin out of the Half Moon Bay Bureau, according to Hsiung. 

Hsiung said he didn’t just want to disappear and was willing to stay for the rest of the year, but after a union meeting, he realized he would be dismissed by Corpus. At the meeting, it was discussed by the deputies’ union that Corpus was looking for a new undersheriff and Hsiung found out that an officer was already going through a background check. 

“Today’s the day,” Hsiung texted his wife, he testified. 

During cross-examination, Corpus’s attorney, Wilson Leung, asked Hsiung about his time in the Mountain View Police Department and how he moved up to work for Corpus. 

Leung asked Hsiung if Corpus was a nice boss and if she bought him lunch, to which he simply responded “yes.” 

3:45 p.m. — Jeff Kernan, the county’s second witness, said he saw the sheriff’s office was “suffering” under former sheriff Carlos Bolanos and wanted Corpus to be successful. Kearnan was an assistant sheriff under Bolanos. Corpus defeated Bolanos in the 2022 election.

Kernan was working with Corpus during her transition team and noticed that Aenlle would be the one making decisions. He said he would try to ask Corpus questions, but Victor would always respond.

Kernan made a work chart for the transition team, but so did Aenlle without him knowing. The difference between the two charts is that there were only two assistant sheriffs and one chief of staff position. The chief of staff position in Aenlle’s chart had authority over bureaus in cities such as Half Moon Bay, Millbrae and San Carlos. But Kernan said it didn’t make sense to have a sworn staff report to a civilian such as Aenlle.

Kernan said he asked Aenlle if he had made a position for himself and he responded no. 

“He didn’t bring in the qualifications … to oversee such responsibilities,” Kernan said in the courtroom.

Kernan said there was a Zoom meeting with Corpus, Lt. Dan Guiney and Paul Kunkel, who wanted to meet with Corpus without Aenlle. She said she was alone, but she lied, Kernan said. They texted each other to look at her windshield that they could see on the video because Aenlle was in the reflection, even though she said she was alone. 

Kernan said he tried to protect Corpus when he found out Aenlle had gone on a trip to Hawaii with her. He called Corpus to question her on what he heard, Kernan said. He wanted her to be happy, but he also told her how it would damage her reputation, Kernan said. 

Later, Kernan said he told Aenlle that if he really loved Corpus, he would be looking out for her reputation as well, but Aenlle disagreed with him. 

Corpus’s eyebrow furrowed while Kernan was speaking on her alleged relationship with Aenlle. 

4:05 p.m. — Heather Enders, HR manager, was the third witness called to the stand. Enders was accompanied by attorney Charles Stone, who is representing a series of current and former sheriff’s office employees who have filed claims or lawsuits against the county and Corpus.

Stone asked the hearing officer, retired Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge James Emerson, if Ander could be questioned behind closed doors because her testimony would involve an ongoing lawsuit. Emerson granted the request.

When the witness and the lawyers returned from the closed session, Enders testified that she asked to go on leave in June because the work environment had become too much to handle.

“I was just having a really hard time. It’s a really hostile work environment,” Enders said, holding back tears, not looking at Corpus. “I tried to put on a good face as long as I could.”

Corpus didn’t show emotion during Enders’ testimony.

In March 2023, Corpus asked Enders to help her find a role for Aenlle that had a high salary, Enders said. 

Ender’s recommendation was to make Aenlle a special projects coordinator, but she didn’t know he already had an existing contact where he would be paid $192,275 annually, she said. 

Enders said she thought she would’ve been part of the conversation for any contract. Acting HR Deputy Director Lisa Yapening recommended that Aenlle should receive $72 an hour instead of $92.44.

Only Aenlle applied for the position of special projects coordinator, which was not publicly posted, according to Enders. 

When Corpus and Aenlle heard the position would pay $72 an hour, Aenlle told Enders, “it wasn’t good enough” and to “find a way” to get him a better salary, Enders said. 

Enders said county HR then recommended the executive director of administration position, which was a full-time position that paid a maximum of $256,979 annually.

6 p.m. — The hearing has wrapped up for the day. Sheriff Corpus began her testimony and she is expected to continue on the witness stand tomorrow.

Corpus was questioned by the county’s Jan Little, while others were questioned by Little’s law partners. 

Little asked Corpus how long she’s known Aenlle and if he was a “confidant.”

Corpus agreed he was someone she trusted, but then retracted calling him a “confidant” after Little said it was someone you share secrets with, which is the Merriam-Webster definition. 

Corpus denied she was in a romantic relationship with Aenlle.

Little then brought up a conversation Corpus had with County Executive Mike Callagy, where he asked Corpus if she was dating anyone in her transition team.

Corpus said she continues to believe that as a 54-year-old woman, she doesn’t need to say who she’s dating and that she’s currently single.

Callagy has said previously that he was asking only because he wanted to stop any nepotism.

Little then asked Corpus about her relationship with Associate Management Analyst Valerie Barnes and if she was a “confidant.” Barnes is expected to be called as a witness by Little.

“I use caution with her,” Corpus said, because Barnes was friends with the sister of Carlos Bolanos, the former sheriff who Corpus defeated in 2022.

“Let’s talk about Hawaii,” Little said. 

During today’s testimony, Kernan said Corpus went on a trip with Aenlle, which Corpus claimed is false and gossip. Corpus said Aenlle just accompanied her on the plane, nothing more. 

She claimed Aenlle was on the flight to help her with her son who has special needs.

“Some people don’t understand what it’s like to have a child with special needs,” Corpus said. 

Corpus said Aenlle understood the struggles and had a soft spot for her son. 

“Does he have a soft spot for you?” Little asked Corpus, to which Corpus responded that it was a question for Aenlle. 

Corpus addressed reports that she shares food with Anelle. She said that because she’s “not a big person,” she doesn’t eat everything on the plate and doesn’t want to waste it. So she gives it to Anelle. She also said she shares food with Undersheriff Dan Perea.