As Sheriff Christina Corpus’ executive team begins to dismantle amid a flurry of controversy, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors is making strides to consider holding a special election in March to seek voter authority to remove an elected sheriff with just cause.
Two days after a scathing investigation conducted by retired Judge LaDoris Cordell outlined substantial evidence of corruption within the Sheriff’s Office’s top brass, Acting Assistant Sheriff Matthew Fox resigned from the role Nov. 14, according to Gretchen Spiker, director of Communications for the Sheriff’s Office.
“Sheriff Corpus would like to thank him for his dedicated service to the San Mateo County community and she wishes him the best in his future endeavors,” Spiker wrote in an email statement.
Fox was promoted to the position in September after Corpus fired his predecessor Ryan Monaghan, two days after Monaghan informed Corpus he spoke with Cordell for the ongoing investigation. Fox was formerly the captain of the Headquarters Patrol Bureau and has served more than 25 years in law enforcement service for the county.
The turmoil at the Sheriff’s Office emerged amid a labor dispute among deputy sheriff’s and sergeants, which led to an overwhelming no-confidence vote in Chief of Staff Victor Aenlle. The Board of Supervisors retained Cordell in July 2024 following an “unprecedented” amount of complaints regarding Aenlle and Corpus, including allegations the two were in a personal relationship, which the Cordell report unequivocally confirmed by Corpus denied.
Cordell’s investigation reported substantial concerns of inappropriate personal relationships, retaliation and fostering a culture of fear within rank-and-file which led to the Board of Supervisors unanimously demanding Corpus’ resignation.
The special election is one of many avenues the board agreed to take at its Nov. 13 special meeting to oust the sheriff. The board currently does not have independent authority to remove the sheriff, but Supervisor Ray Mueller said presenting a charter amendment to voters can change this.
“At this point, we really want to bring this matter to the voters as quickly as possible,” Mueller said. “We’re fashioning that amendment with the appropriate guardrails so the voters know that this would not be a power of the board to use indiscriminately.”
The prepared ordinance granting the governing board authority to remove a sheriff will contain the guardrails of specific circumstances under which the board could act in this manner, including specifying that criminality must be found, or evidence that Corpus is not doing her job or there is unethical conduct.
Mueller said the county attorney will have the drafted charter amendment for consideration.
Fox’s resignation places even more urgency on an already demanding matter. Mueller said the board’s goal is to stabilize the Sheriff’s Office as much as possible amid dysfunction.
“To have this much dysfunction in the command staff with another member resigning is particularly disturbing,” Mueller said. “That command staff is who we rely on in a time of crisis.”
Other avenues the Board of Supervisors voted to proceed with included sending the findings of the investigation to the District Attorney’s Office for criminal consideration, the California Attorney General’s Office, the state’s Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, and the county’s civil grand jury.
The full 400-page report by Cordell can be accessed at tinyurl.com/5fhfm4sp or in the agenda packet for the Nov. 13. Board of Supervisors meeting.
(8) comments
Everyone's getting wrapped up in the personnel drama, but ...
How could those inappropriate expenditures, like the day care center, have been allowed? Where is the Oversight and Procurement Process the CFO of SMC should have in place? The rest of this mess is upstream, with the Comptroller and GM of the County. Finallyk, does the County have insurance against the legal damages they face from all the affected staff? And if NOT, then repeat my concerns about County Management.
They should have put this measure on the ballot when they caught the previous Sheriff and his undersheriff at a Las Vegas brothel, but better late than never I suppose
Oh no - [cool] now I'm waiting for all the Bolanos/Munks aficionados to come forward with both hands raised. It might be like an episode of I Love Lucy.
"Lucy, You Got A Lot of 'Splainin to do ...
I've actually never seen you make an intelligent comment. Any man who uses emojis in their comments has the testosterone of a turkey sandwich.
Look closer, they're used a lot.
Dark meat please.
LF - Learn how to author comments without having to have them removed. The inability to do so tells another chapter in our lives.
RWC LE vote of no confidence wasn't about Nevada.
That wasn't my comment, goofball. You actually said "dark meat" in your last comment - absolutely crazy. I won't insinuate what you mean - but you are for sure a sick puppy.
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.