Corpus immediately faced calls to resign, especially after a scathing 408-page report, completed by Judge LaDoria Cordell, found evidence the former sheriff was having an 'intimate relationship' with Aenlle, who made more than $246,000 a year.
The married mother-of-two, who was elected in 2022, went on to sue the county in January for $10 million, claiming she was the victim of racial discrimination as a Latinx woman.
Through all of the scandals, Corpus has refused to resign, but the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors had the final say.
On October 14 the board voted 5-0 to remove Corpus immediately, marking the first time a sheriff has been booted from office in the county's history. Dan Perea is now serving as interim sheriff.
In response to the decision, Corpus definitely hit back, stating: 'You may remove me from office, but you will not erase the truth.
'I may lose my title, but I will never, ever lose my purpose,' she said at the meeting.
Not only did the board vote to kick Corpus out, but a public vote held in March found that 84 percent of voters wanted her removed as well.
The vote approved Proposition A, which granted the board of supervisors to move forward with dismissing her of her duties.
In addition to the alleged romantic scandal, Corpus was also accused of abuse of power and intimidation as head of the department.
She and her supporters have labeled the allegations against her as retaliation for her efforts to tear down the department's 'good ol' boys club.'
The so-called club was also brought into the spotlight in 2022 when Deputy Carryn Barker alleged that the sheriff's office tolerated harassment, including circulation of pornographic emails.
The hefty investigation report, obtained by The Mercury News, concluded that 'lies, secrecy, intimidation, retaliation, conflicts of interest and abuses of authority are the hallmarks of the Corpus administration.'
According to the outlet, text messages presented in court showed Corpus describing her marriage as 'stressful.'
In one exchange, former colleague Valerie Barnes told Corpus: 'You deserve to be spoiled and doted on' and asked for a 'pic of your sparklies.'
The outlet also reported that Corpus denied claims $8,000 earrings mentioned in the report came from Aenlle, testifying that she purchased them herself because her husband would not.
She was also pressed about her use of a derogatory term for a lesbian councilmember.
Corpus said she misunderstood the word, telling the court: 'It was not in Merriam-Webster and I don't read Urban Dictionary.'
Other testimony has focused on her relationship with Aenlle.
Former Undersheriff Chris Hsiung said he noticed 'unusual behavior' between them, including food sharing and coordinated logins on an encrypted messaging app, according to the Palo Alto Daily Post.
Corpus denied a romantic relationship but said Aenlle helped her care for her son with special needs.
Former Assistant Sheriff Jeff Kernan testified he confronted her about rumors of a Hawaii trip with Aenlle, warning it could hurt her reputation.
A separate 59-page report by law firm Keker, Van Nest & Peters - covered by SFGATE - went further, alleging Corpus and Aenlle were seen kissing and that he gave her luxury boots and money for $12,000 earrings.
The report also accused her of neglecting her duties, obstructing investigations and showing favoritism toward Aenlle, who had never completed deputy training.
Effie Milionis Verducci, the interim director of strategic communications for the county of San Mateo, said the final decision about Corpus was not about the department's 'culture.'
'The questions around the Sheriff's Office culture was frankly not what today was about,' Verducci told The Daily Journal.
'The investigation was into her actions and the conclusions are consistent.'
No comments:
Post a Comment