REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – San Mateo County is nearing the end of a year-long standoff over its top law-enforcement office. After Sheriff Christina Corpus was removed for misconduct last month as the first elected sheriff in California ever ousted under a voter-approved accountability measure, the county’s Board of Supervisors is preparing to appoint her successor.
While only a few residents called for a countywide election, the Board of Supervisors remained split, narrowly voting on Oct. 28 to appoint new leadership instead. The appointed official will fulfill the remaining two years of Corpus’ six-year term.
“More people voted to give you this power than voted for Sheriff Corpus in 2022,” Redwood City resident Carina Merrick told the Supervisors. “You are our elected representatives. You are hearing from your constituents today. You can represent us in this matter.”
Sheriff applications close Nov. 5. The Board will interview applicants the following day and finalize a list of candidates. On Nov. 10, San Mateo County will host a public forum for residents to address candidates. Two days later, the Board will select and swear in the new Sheriff. As of Thursday morning, candidates Kenneth Binder, John Davis, David Lazar, Kevin Lee, Brian Wynn Huynh Travis, David Weidner, and Robert Yick applied to replace Christina Corpus.
How did the county get here?
Corpus’ tenure, once celebrated as a breakthrough for female and Latina representation in county policing, quickly unraveled amid allegations of abuse of power and unlawful retaliation.
Corpus was elected in June 2022 to replace incumbent Carlos Bolanos who had himself been accused of corruption. She ran on a platform of greater oversight and accountability of the Sheriff’s Office as well as increasing female recruitment within the department.
Two years later in July 2024, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors hired retired Judge LaDoris Cordell to investigate surfaced HR complaints against Corpus and her Chief of Staff, Victor Anelle. Judge Cordell released a 400-page independent investigative report on November 12, 2024, which said, “Lies, secrecy, intimidation, retaliation, conflicts of interest, and abuses of authority are the hallmarks of the Corpus administration.”
The report found Corpus had a longstanding and inappropriate “personal relationship” with Aenlle. Corpus used her position to promote Aenlle to senior positions, requested the highest possible salary, and asked for three raises for him within his first year of service. Aenlle did not meet the duty requirements for a reserve deputy sheriff and abused his authority over employees with Corpus’ approval. Corpus issued Aenlle a badge that resembled those of sworn officers, likely committing a misdemeanor.
The report also found Corpus guilty of using slurs in the workplace and confirmed a culture of whistleblower retaliation. On June 30, a civil grand jury accused Corpus of one count of conflict of interest for her relationship with Aenlle and three counts of retaliation pertaining to the firing of Assistant Sheriff Ryan Monaghan for cooperating with Cordell’s investigation, the retaliatory transfer of Captain Brian Philip, and the unlawful arrest of Deputy Carlos Tapia, the president of the Deputy Sheriff’s Association.
The findings prompted the Board of Supervisors to sponsor Measure A, a charter amendment passed by 84% of voters, granting them the power to remove an elected sheriff for cause.
The Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to remove Corpus on Oct. 17. Hours later, she announced her retirement. Board Supervisor Lisa Gauthier issued a public statement after the vote, which said, “Removal is not a punishment; it is a reflection of our collective responsibility to ensure that leadership reflects the ethics and dignity our community deserves.”
What do residents want?
During the Oct. 28 meeting, Julie Land of the San Mateo Labor Council spoke on behalf of 105 unions and over 95,000 workers, including those from the San Mateo Sheriff’s Department, and laid out their criteria for the next sheriff.
“We believe the ideal candidate for sheriff, whether appointed or elected, will… have at least 15 years of sworn law enforcement experience, be familiar with the Sheriff’s office and its roles and responsibilities, possess a record of ethical leadership and decision making, have a management level post certificate, have a working knowledge of corrections, have the demonstrated ability to make sound financial decisions without compromising public safety and have a history of good relationships with organized labor,” Land said.
Immigration emerged as one of the most discussed issues during the meeting. Out of 80 residents who spoke or submitted written remarks, 30 urged the county to select a sheriff who would refuse to cooperate with ICE amid reports of renewed federal raids in the Bay Area. As one third of San Mateo residents are immigrants, many residents wanted to ensure the next sheriff would see immigrant families, regardless of legal status, as part of the community they serve.
“Parents are keeping their children home from school, worried about the family’s safety. This hurts their education as well as hurting school funding,” shared Nancy Bott, a volunteer at Fiesta Gardens International School in San Mateo. “We need a sheriff who will refuse to cooperate with ICE unless legally required by judicial warrant.“
Beyond immigration concerns, residents emphasized the need for accountability and ending what they described as a long culture of corruption within the Sheriff’s Office.
San Mateo resident Jenny Cross said, “The most important job of this board is to resolve this open sheriff position by turning the corner once and for all on the sheriff office’s history of corruption, collusion, and ‘good old boys’ network that has plagued this office for decades.”
“The voter’s choice of Corpus was ultimately a failed attempt to fix these problems,” Cross said.
After the experience of selecting two sheriffs who were eventually tied to misconduct, residents now say they want to turn to an external party to ensure accountability from the Sheriff’s Department. Residents repeatedly requested for the Board to hire a permanent Inspector General to oversee the department.
Millbrae resident Joy Pasamonte wrote in, “Many of us, myself included, supported Christina Corpus, which is exactly why I believe an Inspector General is crucial in providing sheriff accountability. Any person, even those who come in with the best intentions, have the ability to abuse their power in a system that allows their power to go unchecked.”
Whoever takes the helm on Nov. 13 will face the daunting task of restoring trust to the local office.
