San Mateo County sheriff seeks open removal hearings

According to a press release Thursday, Corpus said she has refrained from fully responding to her accusers out of respect for employee privacy to maintain the integrity of internal processes.

“But the time has come to bring the truth to light. The community deserves to understand the sheriff’s decisions, the leadership challenges she has faced, violations of her constitutional rights, violation of state and federal laws, and the deliberate and misleading actions taken by a small group of individuals to remove her from elected office,” the press release said.

Some of those concerns were highlighted in a recently filed federal lawsuit and also released removal documents that seek to paint an environment within the Sheriff’s Office and county offices in which many were coming after Corpus for holding others accountable.

However, the removal proceedings followed an overwhelming vote of the public in March to extend the Board of Supervisors the authority to remove an elected sheriff for just cause, a reaction to ongoing scandal and concern over Sheriff’s Office personnel operating under duress and fear of retaliation at the hand of their leader.

The notice of intent of removal was a 59-page document with 524 pages of evidence and 42 witness interviews concluding that Corpus engaged in “multiple acts of misconduct” including violating the law in relation to the sheriff’s duties, repeated neglect of the sheriff’s duties and obstruction of an investigation into the conduct of the sheriff.  It followed a report by retired judge LaDoris Cordell, who was hired in July 2024 after an unprecedented amount of complaints were made regarding Corpus and her chief of staff Victor Aenlle, with whom it was determined Corpus had an inappropriate relationship and abdicated significant authority to in the office. The investigation resulted in more than 400 pages of detailed findings that resulted in Cordell saying “nothing short of new leadership can save this organization that is in turmoil, and its personnel demoralized.” 

Corpus may become the first elected sheriff in California to be removed from office without a recall vote.

The next step in the county’s adopted removal proceedings will be an under-oath evidentiary hearing held in front of retired Judge James Emerson, set to be held from Aug. 18 to Aug. 29. 

A separate accusation by the San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury also alleged Corpus retaliated against employees whom she believed opposed her authority. The civil grand jury has the authority to formally accuse an elected official and seek their removal from office; this process is independent from the supervisor’s removal proceedings. 

Corpus was formally accused by the civil grand jury June 27. The accusation included conclusions made following a monthslong hearing where 32 witnesses, including Corpus, testified under oath. This is the first time such a record of evidence regarding the sheriff has been provided by any involved party under penalty of perjury. 

The misconduct alleged include one count of conflict of interest for the hiring and supervision of Aenlle. Other allegations include three counts of retaliation, including the firing of former Assistant Sheriff Ryan Monaghan, the transfer of former Capt. Brian Philip, and the arrest of deputy Carlos Tapia, the president of the Deputy Sheriff’s Association and key whistleblower against Corpus’ administration. 

Corpus’ attorney Thomas Mazzucco said in a previous statement that the allegation stems from “politically motivated complaints” raised by union leaders in the Sheriff Office.