San Mateo County's move to potentially unseat Sheriff Christina Corpus has taken a pivotal step forward, following the certification of votes by election officials. The certification solidifies the decision of more than 108,000 voters who, by a resounding 84%, supported Measure A in a special election, as NBC Bay Area reported. This measure gives county supervisors the power to remove the sheriff from office, a decision now rendered actionable under the newly amended county charter.
The amendment to the charter requires that the sheriff be given the chance to defend her position before the board votes. This session is anticipated at the supervisors' meeting next Tuesday. Despite mounting allegations of corruption, bullying, and a culture of intimidation within the Sheriff's Office, Corpus has denied all allegations and brought forth her lawsuit accusing the county of discrimination based on her identity as a Latina woman, according to reports by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Board of Supervisors President David Canepa expressed the board's obligation to ensure a just process unfolds. "Now it’s the responsibility of the Board of Supervisors to really determine what the next steps are," Canepa told NBC Bay Area. "My goal as the President of the Board of Supervisors is to make sure that the process is fair, make sure that it’s effective, make sure that it’s just," he added.
The controversy surrounding Sheriff Corpus intensified following an investigation led by retired Judge LaDoris Cordell that unearthed allegations of a romantic relationship between Corpus and Victor Aenlle, a real estate consultant hired by Corpus for her transition team. This revelation, coupled with claims of Aenlle’s high-paying county contracts obtained without public job postings, presented distressing ethical concerns, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Corpus has repudiated these allegations, labeling them "politically motivated" and "disgusting".
Deputy Sheriff's organizations responded to the voter decision with satisfaction, expecting it to herald an era of accountability in leadership. The Deputy Sheriff's Association and the Organization of Sheriff's Sergeants stated, "Today’s certified vote means that Sheriff Corpus’s reign of unscrupulous mismanagement will soon come to an end," according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
