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Sheriff Christina Corpus has filed a $10 million claim against San Mateo County, alleging “racism, harassment, discrimination and retaliation” during the county’s investigation into her administration.
Corpus, who is currently facing removal from her office, accuses county officials of defamation and releasing confidential information, including details from a 408-page report that sustained allegations of abuse of power, retaliation and misconduct with Corpus’ office.
“This is a case about a county discriminating against, harassing and defaming a dedicated public servant because the defendants do not want either a woman or a Latin X person as the head of their Sheriff’s Department,” the claim reads.
The investigation, led by retired Judge LaDoris Cordell, was launched after what Supervisor Noelia Corzo has called “an unprecedented volume of complaints” by sheriff’s office staff. Cordell’s 408-page report, which was made public on Nov. 12, details allegations of unethical behavior, a multi-year affair between Corpus and her chief of staff and retaliation against employees. Corpus has denied the claims.
The claim explicitly calls out Corzo and County Executive Mike Callagy, alleging they “violated the rights afforded to all peace officers in the State of California by releasing confidential and one-sided investigations of Sheriff Corpus.”
Corpus, in her claim and previously, has argued she’s being unfairly targeted as a Latina official, even as Corzo, also Latina, has been a key spokesperson for the investigation. The claim omits any mention of Ray Mueller, who also served as a spokesperson. The investigation was commissioned and released by the board as a whole.
Corpus hired Woodland Hills lawyer Brad Gage, who filed the three-page claim with the county on Dec. 19. Corpus was represented by lawyer and former San Francisco police commissioner Thomas Mazzucco at the board’s Dec. 3 meeting. Mazzucco did not respond when asked by this news organization whether he still represents Corpus.
A press release accompanying the claim lists Larry Garrison as a point of contact for Corpus. Garrison, a publicist and “news broker,” has been attached to high-profile cases, including the murder of Natalee Holloway and Casey Anthony’s trial.
Corpus’ claim, which is rife with misspellings — Corzo is referred to as “Noleioa Corzio and Cordell is written as “Cordel,” for example — alleges she is the victim of an “evil scheme” organized by county leadership to remove her from office and that they hired Cordell to write a “hit piece” to accomplish their goals. She also alleges that the county’s public addresses following the report’s release have defamed her.
Corzo was not available to comment on Corpus’ claim against the county. Mueller declined to comment on the claim.
Corpus’ claim centers on 29 pages of Cordell’s report that she alleges were omitted and contain “exculpatory statements” from Cordell’s interview with Corpus’ former Chief of Staff Victor Aenlle. While the report includes 99 pages of Aenille’s transcript, the claim states the other interviews included in the report were not recorded and alleges that 29 pages were excluded from the report for “sinister” reasons.
Nearly all sworn staff in the sheriff’s office have called on Corpus to resign. Local, state and federal leaders, the Board of Supervisors and the San Carlos City Council have also made formal calls for her resignation following the release of the Cordell report. She and Aenlle are also the subjects of multiple Public Employment Relations Board complaints made by the Deputy Sheriff’s Association over alleged incidents of retaliation.
On the same day the report was released, Corpus had DSA president Carlos Tapia arrested on charges of felony time card fraud. Following an investigation by the District Attorney’s Office, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said in December that Tapia had not committed any crime and “should not have been arrested.”
Former Sheriff’s Captain Brian Philip resigned rather than arrest Tapia and filed a claim against the county, alleging that he had been retaliated against after refusing to serve an internal affairs notice that he believed to be illegal.
While Corpus states she is seeking $10 million from the county, she did not provide a breakdown of how she arrived at the figure; instead Corpus and her lawyer simply wrote, “discovery continues.”
Corpus signed the claim under penalty of perjury. Those seeking to sue the county are required first to file a claim for the damages with the county.
The county has six to eight weeks from the time that the claim is filed to investigate the claim, according to the county claim form. After the investigation, the county can pay or deny the claim.
If Corpus’ claim is denied, she could then file a suit against the county in San Mateo County Superior Court to seek the $10 million.
The Board of Supervisors called a special election on a ballot measure that, if passed by county voters, would amend the county charter to give the board the power to remove Corpus from her post. Corpus has repeatedly said that she will not resign. The election will occur on March 4, and ballots will begin to be sent out to county voters on Feb. 3.
A committee to independently recall Corpus from office has also been initiated, according to documents filed with the San Mateo County Elections Division.
There’s a saying that the best defense is a good offense.
If the ballot measure passes and the Board of Supervisors ends up firing her, there will surely be a lawsuit and a healthy settlement for the then former Sheriff.
Pogo:
You’re probably right, but at least she’ll be out of office and we can move forward with someone that doesn’t put her boyfriend in a position of authority he’s totally unqualified for and essentially turn running the department over to him.
As to her being discriminated against because she’s female, yeah sure, another female is discriminating against her because she doesn’t want a female Sheriff. Makes all the sense in the world.
Hopefully the measure passes and we can get rid of this train wreck of a Sheriff.
I tried reading the Cordell’s report and had to stop after about 30 pages. The unprofessionalism and simple-minded wielding of administrative power described in the report were just too hard on my expectations of upstanding public service in a San Mateo County department under new leadership. I know: Where have I been to be having such expectations?
Can Victor Aenlle ever lay claim to being a responsible adult when he is alleged to be improperly fooling around with weapon silencers, improperly issuing honorary badges, improperly issuing concealed weapons permits, hiring an incompetent stranger to write grant applications and disparaging people with slurs.
Whatever Sheriff Corpus’ is alleged to have done — and that is a catalog with its own gasp-inducing moments — her hiring of Aenlle speaks volumes about her judgement and her standards. San Mateo County would be well rid of her.