The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors has fired another shot across the bow at embattled Sheriff Christina Corpus during a session to provide updates on a scathing independent report about her office.
Corpus is accused of retaliating against her staff, uttering racial and homophobic slurs and giving too much power to her civilian chief of staff Victor Aenlle, who independent investigator and retired Judge LaDoris Cordell found in her 400-page report to be in an inappropriate personal relationship with the sheriff. Corpus has denied any inappropriate relationship with Aenlle.
On Thursday, Supervisor Ray Mueller addressed the public about homophobic slurs allegedly texted by the sheriff, Aenlle’s alleged attempt to change the code to a rifle safe at the Sheriff’s Office, and to announce that five captains at the office are calling for her resignation and the resignation of Undersheriff Dan Perea. He also said a former captain has filed a claim with the county over his treatment at the Sheriff’s Office.
Perea hasn’t gotten as much attention, but he appears in Cordell’s report as well. The undersheriff is accused of breaking protocols and taking part in retaliation against staff at the behest of the sheriff and Aenlle, with one sworn employee alleging Perea had been “aggressive, accusatory and condescending” to her.
In one instance described in Cordell’s report, a captain reported Perea allegedly tried to intimidate him in a scene out of an old Western.
“When the sworn employee was seated, Undersheriff Perea walked up to him, stood very close so that Perea’s crotch was in close proximity to the sworn employee’s face,” reads the report. “Undersheriff Perea looked down at the sworn employee and said, ‘Hello, Captain.’ The sworn employee, who is 6’4” tall, slowly stood up and shook the Undersheriff’s hand. The two were nose to nose as the sworn employee said, ‘Hello, Undersheriff.’ The sworn employee believes that Undersheriff Perea was trying to intimidate him.”
Cordell’s report was released earlier this month and prompted the county Board of Supervisors to unanimously call for her resignation, followed by a similar call by U.S. Reps. Kevin Mullin and Anna Eshoo, state Sen. Josh Becker, and state Assemblymembers Marc Berman and Diane Papan.
Corpus has doubled and tripled down on any notion that she should resign, calling attacks against her a symptom of a “good ol’ boys” network and has repeatedly said she has no intention of stepping down.
“To the people of San Mateo County, I want to make it clear: I am not going anywhere,” said Corpus in a statement released by her office Monday. “You elected me to be your Sheriff, and I intend to continue the hard work of reforming this office and keeping this community safe.”
Allegations of homophobia
On Thursday, Mueller, the county supervisor, shared what he said is proof that homophobic texts the sheriff is accused of sending, but she has denied authoring, did indeed come from her phone.
Mueller said “definitive forensic proof” shows Corpus referring to a lesbian in a derogatory way. He also provided images of the texts.
Mueller was flanked by two of the Sheriff’s Office captains that have called for Corpus’ resignation and said that former Capt. Brian Philip resigned when he was asked to arrest San Mateo County Deputy Sheriff’s Association president Carlos Tapia on suspicion of felony grand theft by false pretenses.
Tapia had been vocal about problems at the Sheriff’s Office and the deputies’ union said his arrest had “all the earmarks of whistleblower retaliation” in the wake of Cordell’s report.
Philip has now filed a legal claim against the county, citing retaliation, mistreatment by Perea and for allegedly being commanded to do something unlawful when he was asked to arrest Tapia.
Mueller said litigation such as this is the beginning of a “flood” of potentially costly lawsuits stemming from the Sheriff’s Office that the taxpayers could foot the bill for.
“This is money that should have been used to help the hungry, the sick and the vulnerable in this county,” Mueller said.
Sheriff Corpus did not comment on Thursday’s Board of Supervisors’ update on the report.
On Tuesday, the board discussed a charter amendment sponsored by Supervisors Mueller and Noelia Corzo that would allow them to remove Corpus for cause. A second reading of the charter amendment will be held in early December and if approved, San Mateo County voters will be asked to weigh in on giving the board the power to remove Corpus in a March 4 election.
