San Mateo sheriff seeks $10 million from county

Embattled San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus has filed a $10 million claim against the county, alleging harassment and discrimination.

Filed by civil rights attorney Brad Gage, the claim accuses the county and its officials of “discriminating, harassing, and defaming” Corpus, the first Latina sheriff in the county.

“Some of those detractors do not like the fact she is the first female and first Latinx Sheriff in the history of the department,” the claim states. “But racism, harassment, discrimination, and retaliation are not legal.”

Central to the claim is a report, released by LaDoris Cordell in November 2024, which outlined allegations of misconduct, corruption, and workplace bullying within the San Mateo Sheriff’s Office. The report from the retired judge also accused Corpus of having an inappropriate relationship with her civilian chief of staff, Victor Aenlle, who was himself at the center of several allegations of misconduct and workplace bullying.

Gage alleges the investigation was biased, citing Cordell’s financial compensation as a potential conflict of interest.

“In general, investigators are paid by the municipal employer — in this case, the county,” Gage told this news organization. “If their findings don’t favor the employer, they risk losing future business. It’s a lucrative system for those conducting these investigations.”

Gage also contends that 29 pages of the report, which allegedly contained “exculpatory information,” were omitted.

“Interviews weren’t recorded, which violates best practices in law enforcement. It’s suspicious and suggests discriminatory motives,” he said.

The claim also accuses Supervisor Noelia Corzo, a former supporter of Corpus who is also Latina, of disclosing confidential personnel investigation details and defaming the sheriff publicly.

“To accomplish their evil scheme, Noelia Corzo disclosed confidential information from a police officer personnel investigation in violation of Sheriff Corpus’ rights … and defamed Sheriff Corpus outside of the litigation context,” the claim states.

Corzo, along with Supervisor Ray Mueller, had been leading the calls for Corpus to resign after the release of the Cordell report.

“Compounding the violations, retired judge Cordell presented what appeared to be a complete investigation to skewer Sheriff Corpus with false allegations and unsupportable findings,” the claim states. “We now know there was fraud by the defendants in connection with that ‘investigation.’”

In response, a San Mateo County spokesperson dismissed the claim as “without merit,” stating, “If this escalates into a lawsuit, the county will address the allegations in court.”

A representative from Corpus’ office said she was unavailable to comment on the claim.

The filing comes as Corpus faces mounting criticism.

The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, two deputy sheriff unions, captains of the sheriff’s department, several congressional and local leaders, and the city of San Carlos have issued votes of no confidence in her leadership. She is also under investigation for alleged campaign finance violations.

In March, voters will decide in a special election whether to grant the Board of Supervisors authority to remove an elected sheriff. If approved, it would be a first in the Bay Area, and the measure would remain in effect until Corpus’ term ends in 2028.

The special election is projected to cost over $3.8 million, according to county election officials.

Detective Elliot Storch, representing the Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, rejected allegations of bias in Cordell’s investigation.

“Suggesting that Judge Cordell, a highly respected judge and police auditor, was motivated by money is utterly ridiculous,” Storch told this news organization. “None of this has anything to do with race or gender; it’s about Sheriff Corpus’ poor decisions as a leader.”

Storch reiterated the union’s call for Corpus to resign, adding, “When given the chance to make the right decision, Sheriff Corpus instead doubles down on false allegations and unfounded claims.”

Corpus’ team is scheduled to hold a press conference Monday to address the claim in greater detail.