Ryan Macasero
Bay Area News Group
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SAN MATEO COUNTY, Calif. — Capping nearly a year of turmoil over allegations of corruption, retaliation and abuse of power, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday morning to remove Sheriff Christina Corpus from office effective immediately. Undersheriff Dan Perea will carry out Corpus’ duties until a replacement is named or voted on.
Corpus, elected in 2022 as the county’s first Latina sheriff, is now the first sheriff in California to be removed by a county board of supervisors. The removal was made possible by Measure A, a voter-approved charter amendment passed in March that allows supervisors to oust a sheriff for cause with a four-fifths vote through 2028, the end of Corpus’ elected term.
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The vote followed months of investigations, a special election, and escalating tensions between Corpus and county officials. It came after retired Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge James Emerson released his 42-page advisory opinion last week, finding that Corpus violated conflict-of-interest laws and retaliated against deputies who challenged her authority.
“This has been a transparent process that has been fair to the sheriff,” Board President David Canepa said prior to Tuesday’s vote. “This is what the voters have asked us to do and the decision they have been waiting for.”
In his advisory opinion, Emerson sustained four charges on three issues while dismissing more than a dozen others, most tied to retaliation complaints from employees who opposed her leadership.
One charge involved Corpus’ relationship — whether romantic or not — with former chief of staff Victor Aenlle. Emerson said it constituted a conflict of interest because she reportedly created a position for him and sought a pay increase for which he was allegedly unqualified.
The other two charges involved personnel actions. Emerson found the reassignment of Capt. Brian Philip from the Professional Standards Bureau to corrections retaliatory. He also found that the arrest and reported retaliation against Deputy Sheriffs Association President Carlos Tapia lacked probable cause.
Corpus has disputed the findings, saying her decisions were lawful, her transfers were routine staffing rotations based on office policy, and not retaliatory. She denied any romantic relationship with Aenlle, defended hiring him as a trusted adviser, and said Tapia’s arrest was justified by a timecard-fraud complaint.
In a statement at Tuesday’s meeting, Corpus denounced the proceedings as “unconstitutional, corrupt and fundamentally unfair,” saying the board “wrote the rules, conducted the investigation and will now act as judge, jury and executioner.” She warned that allowing the process to stand could expose other sheriffs to political retaliation.
“The corruption, favoritism and bias have become the silent language of power in this county,” Corpus said. “This isn’t just retaliation against me — it’s a betrayal of the voters who demand transparency in law enforcement.”
Effie Milionis Verducci, a county spokesperson, said the decision marks “the final step in a process that began in March 2025, when 84% of San Mateo County voters approved Measure A to strengthen oversight and accountability of the Sheriff’s Office.”
County Attorney John Nibbelin acknowledged that Corpus has pending legal claims and lawsuits against the county related to her removal, but said she is now pursuing them “in her private capacity” following the board’s vote.
Beyond political costs, the prolonged removal process carried a growing financial toll. The March special election alone cost $4.4 million, according to county appropriations requests, while the Cordell report added at least $200,000.
The county has not released other costs — including investigations, consultancies, and legal fees — citing attorney-client privilege.
On Tuesday, Verducci told this news organization that although the removal process is complete, ongoing litigation related to it means attorney-client privilege is still being maintained.
Supervisor Jackie Speier, a former congresswoman, said that although she supported the process and voted to remove Corpus, it was “grossly expensive.”
“There’s no joy in firing the sheriff, and this decision comes only after an arduous review and multiple due process steps that gave her every opportunity to present her side,” Speier said. “The question before us was whether there had been any violation of the law.”
Despite the significant time and resources it required, Canepa said he “stands by the process.”
“It was the first time this has ever been done in the state of California , but the process we put forward was deliberative and thoughtful,” Canepa said. “The sheriff had the ability to appeal. There was testimony. There was Judge Emerson . I don’t know if you could design a better, fairer process — it gave the sheriff every opportunity to have her voice heard.”
Aside from the Measure A removal process, Corpus still faces a separate review by the civil grand jury.
On Tuesday, the county said Perea “will temporarily discharge the duties of sheriff” until the board appoints or voters elect a replacement. Whether a special election or an appointment will be held — and when either process might take place — will be discussed at a future meeting.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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