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A previously confidential investigation into Sheriff Christina Corpus’ claims against San Mateo County Executive Mike Callagy, including allegations of racism, harassment and political sabotage, found nearly all her accusations to be unsubstantiated, according to a newly released report made public by the Board of Supervisors.
Unlike the widely circulated Cordell report, which criticized Corpus’ leadership, this 166-page report was conducted with all interviews recorded, without granting anonymity to sources and with a narrower focus strictly on Corpus’ complaints.
The release of this report adds a new layer to the political crisis surrounding the Sheriff’s Office, revealing a behind-the-scenes struggle between Corpus, the county’s top administrator and the Board of Supervisors, even as Corpus faces possible removal from office over misconduct allegations of her own.
The independent investigation, conducted by attorney Christina Ro-Connolly of Oppenheimer Investigations Group LLP, was made public after the Board of Supervisors on May 22 unanimously waived attorney-client privilege. While the report upheld one claim about interference in a personnel decision, the report found no misconduct by Callagy and largely contradicted Corpus’ narrative. Witnesses described Corpus’ relationships with her former chief of staff Victor Aenlle as “a cult of two,” echoing concerns from the earlier Cordell report and further undermining the sheriff’s assertions of unfair treatment.
Ro-Connolly investigated six allegations by Corpus: Callagy demanded Corpus disclose everyone she had dated, Callagy negotiated with the sheriff’s unions to undermine her, Callagy interfered with Corpus’ negotiations with cities, Callagy blocked her firing of Assistant Sheriff Ryan Monaghan, Callagy posted the Cordell report on Instagram and Callagy treated Corpus differently due to her race, ethnicity or gender.
Both Callagy and Corpus were given the opportunity to suggest witnesses for the investigation.
According to the report, Corpus suggested four people: Aenlle, Undersheriff Dan Perea, Sheriff’s Office Deputy Director of Administration and Finance Stacey Stevenson and county resident James Johnson. Johnson agreed to be interviewed, Aenlle initially scheduled an interview but then only submitted written answers; and Perea and Stevenson stopped responding to Ro-Connolly’s requests for interviews. Corpus herself rescheduled two interviews and then ultimately only provided written answers.
Callagy, on the other hand, met with the investigator three times, each time accompanied by his attorney.
“A cult of two”
Several former allies of Corpus seemed to imply Corpus and Aenlle had a very unusual relationship. County Supervisor Noelia Corzo said she initially supported Corpus when she raised concerns about Callagy but later became alarmed by Aenlle’s influence. Concerned for Corpus’ safety and well-being, Corzo claimed she expressed her concerns to Callagy, who she said took them seriously and was genuinely concerned for Corpus. Corzo did not respond to a request for comment.
Paul Kunkel, a longtime friend and former Corpus campaign member, said he approached Corpus with concerns that Aenlle was going to isolate and manipulate her in late 2022 while working on her transition team.
Kunkel said Aenlle and Corpus were “a cult of two,” and she treated criticism against Aenlle as an attack on her.
Kunkel still believes Aenlle has manipulated and isolated Corpus.
Jeff Kearnan, a retired sheriff’s official, former friend and mentor of Corpus, who was on her transition team, corroborated much of what Kunkel said. He said he became suspicious that Corpus and Aenlle were romantically involved and received confirmation from Corpus’ husband.
Kearnan confronted Corpus, asking her to be honest. Kearnan told Corpus she could not bring Aenlle in at the executive level if the two were involved. As an ultimatum, he said that either he or Aenlle could stay.
She never followed up, and Kearnan resigned from her transition team. When Kearnan told Callagy he was resigning from the transition team, he said it was because of his concerns about Corpus and Aenlle’s relationship.
Callagy demanded Corpus disclose her dating history
Corpus claimed that during their first meeting with Callagy in October 2022, he told her, “If you ever date anyone in San Mateo County, I need to be the first to know about it,” referencing scandals under her predecessor, Carlos Bolanos.
Callagy called the allegation “ludicrous” and said he had concerns about a potential conflict of interest after learning that Corpus had traveled to Hawaii with her campaign manager and close friend Aenlle. He said Corpus confirmed their friendship at the meeting, which prompted him to question whether Aenlle’s hiring could be perceived as favoritism.
Ro-Connolly sided with Callagy. She found that he his version was much “more plausible and thus carried more weight” compared with Corpus, who had only repeated broad information about that one moment. Callagy also clearly explained the context behind his question and the reason for his inquiry.
Callagy negotiated with unions behind Corpus’ back
Corpus alleged that Callagy agreed to give “double overtime” to unionized deputies and sergeants, which she claimed cost taxpayers $17 million, without her at the table.
She told Ro-Connolly, “The unilateral decision to approve double overtime, while excluding me from discussions, created a financial burden without addressing the root causes of staffing shortages.”
Aside from witnesses corroborating Callagy’s recount of the events, Ro-Connolly obtained several email chains showing Corpus approved every decision, including back-and-forth discussions between human resources, county staff and Callagy.
According to the report, an email sent by Deputy Director of Human Resources Michelle Kuka to union officials with the proposal, which was forwarded to both Callagy and Corpus, was finally completed with Corpus’ explicit approval.
Callagy negatively interfered with Corpus’ negotiations with cities
Corpus alleged that County Executive Mike Callagy undermined her efforts to renegotiate law enforcement contracts with several cities that rely on the Sheriff’s Office for policing, including Portola Valley, Woodside, Half Moon Bay and San Carlos, a move she called unprecedented.
The report focused on the dispute with San Carlos. According to Callagy and San Carlos City Manager Jeff Maltbie, Corpus wanted to renegotiate the Sheriff’s Office’s contract with many cities to get the cities to pay more for their services.
Ro-Connolly’s report found that while Callagy did step in, his involvement appeared aimed at conflict resolution rather than undermining Corpus. Maltbie said Callagy urged him to support Corpus and avoid escalating tensions. Though Callagy later agreed to cover part of San Carlos’ policing costs for one year, the report noted his actions were more about damage control than overreach.
Though Aenlle backed up Corpus’ account, Ro-Connolly did not sustain the claim, concluding that Callagy provided financial support to cities due to “potential political blowback” to Corpus as his motivation.
Callagy blocked Assistant Sheriff Ryan Monaghan’s termination
Ro-Connolly sustained Corpus’ claim that Callagy blocked the termination of Monaghan, but found his actions justifiable given the circumstances.
Corpus said she wanted Monaghan fired for poor performance and insubordination, but multiple county officials, including the human resources director and labor analysts, told Ro-Connolly they had not heard of issues with Monaghan’s performance.
Callagy said he consulted with the county attorney’s office and the Board of Supervisors before stepping in. According to Callagy, he was concerned that the firing could appear retaliatory and the county could be held liable. Monaghan later filed a claim against Corpus for $5 million, alleging retaliation.
Although Corpus said Callagy should have consulted her before interfering, Ro-Connolly found it reasonable that Callagy did not, noting he “could have been accused of interfering (which, incidentally, he is alleged to have done per Corpus’ September 2024 letter).”
Aenlle alleged Callagy had a personal bias, claiming he is Monaghan’s daughter’s godfather. Callagy claims to have never met Monaghan’s daughter.
Callagy posted the Cordell report to Instagram
Corpus accused Callagy of posting the Cordell report to Instagram the day after its release in an attempt to sway public opinion against her. But Ro-Connolly found no evidence supporting the claim.
Callagy said he doesn’t use Instagram and had no role in sharing the report online. Ro-Connolly could not find evidence that San Mateo County posted the report to Instagram. Corzo did share information about a press conference related to the report on her personal Instagram, but she told investigators that Callagy was not involved in that decision. By the time of the alleged post, the report had already been widely circulated.
What’s next
At the meeting, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors formally voted to consider Corpus’ complaint against Callagy closed and without merit. The board also directed county staff to take no further action on the matter. That vote effectively ends the investigation into her discrimination and retaliation claims.
Separately, following the landslide passage of Measure A during the March 4 special election, which gave the board temporary authority to remove a sheriff for cause, the board may now initiate proceedings to oust Corpus from office. Supervisor Ray Mueller called on the board to initiate this process at the May 20 meeting, stating that the situation demands both fairness and urgency.
Although the board adopted the removal procedures earlier this month, Board President David Canepa has yet to place the item on the meeting agenda. Once initiated, the removal process could take several months and may be extended further if challenged in court.
Corpus’ legal team argues that both Mueller and Corzo have already shown bias and should recuse themselves from any vote to remove her. The board has not yet taken a formal vote on sending the notice of intent to remove.
District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe is investigating Corpus regardless of the removal process after previously deciding to wait until the board finishes its process. Wagstaffe is also waiting for a third county-backed-report by law firm Keker, Van Nest & Peters into whether the Board of Supervisors should initiate a removal process.
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