County Supervisors to Consider Seeking Sheriff’s Immediate Resignation over Findings from Independent Investigation

Redwood City - The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors tomorrow will convene a special meeting to discuss potential action, including but not limited to a call for the Sheriff Christina Corpus's immediate resignation, after receiving an independent investigator's report into allegations of retaliation, a "personal relationship" that creates a conflict of interest, abuse of power, and the use of racial and homophobic slurs.

Supervisors Noelia Corzo and Ray Mueller today highlighted the public release of the 140+ page report (and supporting exhibits) by retired Judge LaDoris Cordell into allegations made against the sheriff and her employee, Victor Aenlle, who serves on her Executive Team. The Board of Supervisors in July 2024 retained Cordell, a highly recognized judicial officer who has overseen several high-profile evaluations of law enforcement in the Bay Area. Cordell's independent investigation and subsequent report includes witness reports and direct evidence. As the investigation uncovered additional concerns, it was widened to include additional matters.

Cordell concluded that, "Lies, secrecy, intimidation, retaliation, conflicts of interest, and abuses of authority are the hallmarks of the Corpus administration. Corpus should step down and Victor Aenlle's employment with the Sheriff's Office should be terminated immediately. Nothing short of new leadership can save this organization that is in turmoil, and its personnel demoralized."

The allegations sustained by Cordell include, but are not limited to (and these are directly from her report):

• Corpus and Aenlle, who is described as her chief of staff, have a "personal relationship" beyond mere friendship that creates a conflict of interest.
• Corpus has uttered and texted racial and homophobic slurs in the workplace.
• Aenlle has not met the duty requirements for a reserve deputy sheriff.
• Aenlle is out of compliance with the requirements to maintain his status as a Level 1 reserve deputy because he claimed that his hours working as chief of staff also served as his volunteer duty hours required for reserve deputies.
• Corpus and her Executive Team engage in retaliation and intimidation.
• Aenlle has exceeded and/or abused his authority with the approval of Corpus.
• Aenlle exercises authority well beyond that of supervising civilian personnel. With the sheriff's approval, Aenlle has moved himself to the top of the Chain of Command so that he exercises wide-ranging and sometimes abusive authority over both civilian and sworn employees.
• Aenlle had a conflict of interest when negotiating the lease for property to be used as a daycare center.
• Aenlle is not authorized to wear a badge that resembles the gold badges of sworn employees and by doing so he has likely committed a misdemeanor for willfully wearing a facsimile badge that could deceive a civilian into believing he is a sworn officer with full police powers. Corpus, by issuing the gold badge to Aenlle, may have committed a misdemeanor, as well.

Furthermore, the County learned today that the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office arrested Deputy Carlos Tapia, president of the Deputy Sheriff's Association and one of the people who reported a whistleblower complaint against Corpus and Aenlle. He was also the person who brought the DSA's vote of no confidence against Aenlle. It is highly irregular in San Mateo County for the Sheriff's Office to undertake a criminal investigation and arrest a member of their own department.

Based on these facts, tomorrow, Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 4 p.m., the Board will hold a special meeting to discuss potential next steps, including but not limited to, adoption of a resolution of no confidence; a call for the Sheriff's immediate resignation; a County charter amendment to allow the Board of Supervisors to remove the Sheriff for misconduct, which will require voter approval; and referral to the San Mateo County District Attorney and the State Attorney General's Office for their consideration.

Cordell's full report is available as part of the Board agenda packet for the Nov. 13 meeting: https://sanmateocounty.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

The public meeting will be hybrid, in person and via Zoom. The link is available here.

Following the special meeting, Supervisors Noelia Corzo and Ray Mueller will hold a news conference in Board Chambers to recap Board action. The event will live streamed and recorded. Press can request footage and still photography from Michelle Durand, [email protected] or 650-670-6114 (M).

Michelle Durand
Chief Communications Officer

650-363-4153 T
650-363-1916 F
mdurand@smcgov.org
www.smcgov.org