WITH CHRISTINA CORPUS OFFICIALLY REMOVED from the elected position of San Mateo County Sheriff after a special Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, questions linger about who will take her place.
“We have a sheriff’s office in crisis,” said Board President David Canepa in a statement following the meeting. “This department needs stable leadership.”
The Board unanimously voted to fire Corpus in a final decision on Tuesday that made her removal “effective immediately,” according to Canepa. The vote was the last stage in the Board’s months-long process to remove her, a historic move that made San Mateo County the first in the state to remove an elected sheriff.
Following the state Government Code, Undersheriff Dan Perea will assume the sheriff’s duties but will not be officially elevated to the title of interim sheriff.
We have a sheriff’s office in crisis. This department needs stable leadership.
Board President David Canepa
“The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office wishes to assure our communities that our public safety service remains constant and uninterrupted,” Perea said in a statement following the Board’s vote. “Pursuant to Government Code section 24105, when the office of the Sheriff is vacant, the duties of the office are discharged by the Undersheriff until the vacancy is filled.”
Perea has served as undersheriff since July 2024 after the former undersheriff, Chris Hsiung, abruptly stepped down.
Amid the past year of chaos and scandal plaguing Corpus and the Sheriff’s Office, Perea has always stood by Corpus’ side, literally. He was often seen next to or nearby Corpus in support of her during many of her public appearances.
The Board has 30 days to either appoint an interim sheriff or call for a special election where voters will decide.
In a briefing after the Board’s vote, Canepa and Supervisor Jackie Speier discussed their preferences to hold a special election.
“I am in no way in favor of appointing the next sheriff,” Canepa said. “I firmly believe that the best way to do this is to have a special election as soon as possible.”
Speier also mentioned being in favor of adopting a resolution that would limit county employees from donating to candidates running for positions in their own departments. She believes that a “good ol’ boy” network does exist in the Sheriff’s Office — something Corpus repeatedly said as she defended herself against calls for her removal — and that restricting monetary contributions from members in the department could help promote impartiality.
“I think the pressure to contribute to the campaigns of those who are running creates favoritism,” said Speier.
‘The close of one chapter’
Tuesday’s unprecedented decision was the final stage in the Board’s efforts to remove her, a power that was granted to the Board by voters with the approval of Measure A in a March special election.
Measure A was the Board’s way of ousting Corpus, who refused to step down following the release of an independent investigation in November 2024. The 400-page report, conducted by retired judge LaDoris Cordell, alleged that Corpus had an inappropriate relationship with her chief of staff and fostered a culture of intimidation and retaliation in the Sheriff’s Office.
Corpus argued that members of the Sheriff’s Office targeted her for her Latina identity and for trying to modernize the Sheriff’s Office, a defense that she repeated until Tuesday’s final vote.
As part of the Measure A process, a 10-day administrative hearing was held in August where retired judge James Emerson heard the testimonies of 36 witnesses and reviewed 174 exhibits. Last week, Emerson sent his advisory opinion to the Board which upheld allegations that Corpus had engaged in retaliation against former Capt. Brian Philip and sheriff’s union president Carlos Tapia, authorized the unlawful arrest of Tapia, and had a conflict of interest in the hiring of her former chief of staff Victor Aenlle.
“This is the close of one chapter, and we’ll move forward,” Speier said. “We’ll forward knowing that the oversight of the sheriff’s office is going to be front and center.”
Following the vote, the San Mateo County Deputy Sheriff’s Association union thanked the Board for their efforts in conducting the removal process. The union has been outspoken in their criticism of Corpus, who later authorized the arrest of the union’s president, Carlos Tapia.
“We now begin the important and challenging work of rebuilding our beloved Sheriff’s Office,” the union said in a statement.
The county will release public notices regarding when the Board will make a decision on either appointing the next sheriff or scheduling a special election.