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The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted on June 24 to remove embattled San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus from office over several alleged acts of misconduct.
County Chief Probation Officer John Keene on Tuesday presented a formal recommendation to the board to move forward with removal, following a meeting where Keene met with Corpus and her legal counsel on June 11. Corpus was given a chance to respond to the board’s notice of intent to remove her from office.
Keene’s recommendation and the notice of intent have not been made public due to Corpus’ objections.
Corpus has five days to appeal the board’s decision, which would essentially remove her from office with cause under Measure A, a voter-approved county charter amendment passed in March. The board cites three reasons for removal under Measure A: violation of any law related to the performance of a Sheriff’s duties, flagrant or repeated neglect of a Sheriff’s duties and obstruction of any investigation into the conduct of a Sheriff.
“This is a very regrettable chapter in the history of San Mateo County and the taxpayers are paying a very heavy price,” Supervisor Jackie Speier said at the special meeting.
If Corpus appeals, an evidentiary hearing will be held before one of three potential hearing officers suggested by the county. The Corpus will also have the option to choose whether the hearing will be open to the public.
Corpus has repeatedly denied the allegations against her and refused calls to resign.
Her attorneys said the removal process and investigations have been “fatally flawed” and accused supervisors Noelia Corzo and Ray Mueller of being biased for comments made publicly about Corpus.
Corpus plans to “exhaust all appeals,” said Thomas Mazzucco, one of the sheriff’s attorneys. “We will take it as far as we need to take it.”
The hearing officer has the right to issue subpoenas, consider evidence and hear live testimony, according to the county. The officer can force Corpus to testify.
The three potential hearing officers are Carol Vendrillo, David Hart and James Emerson.
The hearing could take place in as little as four months, according to the county. Following the hearing, the officer has 45 days to issue an advisory opinion. The board would then vote again on whether to remove her, a decision that requires a four-fifths vote.
Corpus made history in 2022 when she became the first woman and the first Latina elected as sheriff of San Mateo County, defeating long-time incumbent Carlos Bolanos. Her tenure began with a pledge to reform the department, increase transparency and rebuild public trust.
However, her leadership has faced growing scrutiny in recent months amid allegations of workplace misconduct, retaliation and interference in internal investigations. Public calls for accountability intensified earlier this year when multiple anonymous complaints reportedly emerged from within the Sheriff’s Office.
Corpus has denied the allegations and refused to heed calls for her to step down. In response, the Board of Supervisors initiated a third-party investigation and, in late May, adopted formal removal procedures following the passage of Measure A. The Board voted unanimously in early June to move toward potentially removing her from office by adopting a “Notice of Intent to Remove” her for cause.
Corpus has filed a lawsuit against San Mateo County, alleging that the removal process was politically motivated and violated her due process rights.
The June 24 vote marked the first use of the board’s new powers under Measure A.
Bay City News contributed to this story.
She is tone deaf. How many votes of no confidence in her have passed? If she had any integrity at all, she would have resigned long ago.