Assistant San Mateo County sheriff steps down amid turmoil, union says
San Mateo County Acting Assistant Sheriff Matthew Fox(left) and San Mateo County Sheriff Christiana Corpus.
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - San Mateo County's acting assistant sheriff has stepped down amid growing turmoil in the agency, the union said on Friday.
The union did not specifically say why Matthew Fox, who has spent 25 years in law enforcement in the county, is no longer with the department.
But his departure comes three days after a scathing 400-page report was released that contains seven "sustained findings" against Sheriff Christina Corpus for allegedly having an improper work romance, using racial and homophobic slurs and engaging in intimidation and retaliatory behavior.
Corpus was defiant that she had done nothing wrong at a news conference this week and with the board of supervisors, who passed a vote of no-confidence against her on Wednesday.
"I am completely baffled, shocked, and dismayed about the inquiry and its many falsehoods," she said this week. "Claims that I am a racist and a homophobic are not true. I have never and would never use those words."
In the meantime, Corpus elevated her alleged boyfriend, Victor Aenlle - both of them deny being in a romantic relationship – from chief of staff to assistant sheriff.
His name – Dr. Victor Aenelle Assistant Sheriff – is already painted in gold on the door of his office.
Aenlle is not a full-time sworn law enforcement officer, and even his designation as a reserve deputy, which he began in 2009, is in question, according to the report.
His county bio states he is a businessman, a private investigator, and has a background in medical training and Real Estate. His bio also states he holds a PhD from the Los Angeles-based Union Institute & University, in Interdisciplinary Studies specializing in Ethical and Creative Leadership.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, 106 sworn staff members have left the sheriff's office since Corpus took office as one of the first two Latina sheriffs in California.
One of those employees was highly respected Undersheriff Chris Hsiung, who parted ways with the department in June, which was highlighted in the report.
In addition, on the same day the report was revealed, Corpus arrested Carlos Tapia, the president of the Deputy Sheriff’s Association, on suspicion of felony grand theft and theft by false pretenses.
The allegations include time card fraud.
Victor Aenlle's name as assistant sheriff in San Mateo County.
The union immediately condemned the arrest, saying it had "all the earmarks of whistleblower retaliation" in the wake of the report.
The San Mateo County DA has yet to receive the case, which means no charges have been filed.
According to the county's website, Fox and Corpus used to be aligned.
"Like Sheriff Christina Corpus, he believes that fostering a culture of change is vital for creating a new era of policing that prioritizes community needs and collaboration," the website states under a profile of Fox. "He is grateful to Sheriff Corpus for the incredible opportunity and for the trust she placed in him to serve San Mateo County residents and Sheriff’s Office employees."