San Mateo County supervisor shares text messages alleging sheriff's use of homophobic slurs

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - A San Mateo County supervisor behind the effort to hold a special election to remove Sheriff Christina Corpus from office spoke publicly Thursday to update residents on the scathing allegations against the embattled sheriff. 

On Tuesday, the board of supervisors unanimously approved a proposal to place a measure on the March ballot asking voters to amend the county charter to allow the board to remove a sheriff with cause with a four-fifths vote.

His proposal for the special election came a week after a scathing independent investigatory report accused Corpus of having an improper work romance and for using racial and homophobic slurs.

District 3 Supervisor Ray Mueller and District 2 Supervisor Noelia Corzo brought the proposal before the board.

"We are in an operational crisis in the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office," said Dist. 3 supervisor Ray Mueller.

Mueller called a press conference Thursday to share "several significant updates to the independent investigation and report" about allegations against the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office.   

During the afternoon news conference, Mueller released text messages he said are proven to have come from the sheriff's cell phone. In at least two texts, Corpus allegedly used derogatory language in reference to a lesbian Peninsula politician.

"We are seeing with our own eyes the truth that the sheriff continues to deny," said Corzo, the Dist. 2 rep on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.

Also on Thursday, San Carlos city officials said they're preparing to vote Nov. 25 on a resolution of no-confidence in the sheriff.

"Anything that happens in the sheriff's office affects us," said Ron Collins, an at-large city council member.

He said the city contracted with the Sheriff's Office for police services in 2010. Now members want to sever ties with Corpus due to the recent revelations of improprieties.

"This is a public safety issue," said Collins. "It's just making the deputy's job harder. It's making the captain's jobs harder and ultimately, that affects our residents and that's who I represent."

In a voluminous report last week, retired Superior Court Judge LaDoris Cordell detailed Corpus' instances of abuse of power for granting her then-chief of staff, Victor Anelle, authority reserved for sworn officers.

"I will not allow the board to threaten me and fire my chief of staff without cause. This inquiry was politically motivated and one-sided," she said at a Nov. 13 Board of Supervisors meeting.

Corpus and Anelle are allegedly in a romantic relationship, which she didn't disclose.

Most of the sheriff's command staff has quit, with ex-Captain Brian Phillip now suing the county for loss of wages of approximately $20,000 a month.

Captain Mark Myers is one-of-five who has called for Corpus' ouster.

"We stand here today in appreciation for supervisor Mueller and the board of supervisors who have given a voice to the voiceless within our organization," he said.

Some experts believe the mounting pressure could force a political inflection point.

"We don't know when there might be a tipping point where she sees, okay there's no way for me to bounce back from this," said Dr. Melissa Michelson, a Menlo College political scientist. Added Mueller, "We cannot afford the dysfunction from a sheriff we cannot trust."

In the report, San Mateo County Judge LaDoris Cordell said, "Lies, secrecy, intimidation, retaliation, conflicts of interest, and abuses of authority are all the hallmarks of the Corpus administration. Corpus should step down and Victor Aenlle's employment with the Sheriff's Office should be terminated immediately. Nothing short of new leadership can save this organization that is in turmoil, and its personnel demoralized."  

On Monday, a group of lawmakers in the South Bay issued a collective statement calling for her to quit. 

"The turmoil that is engulfing the Sheriff’s Office is continuing to damage the organization," the lawmakers said. "Our community deserves trustworthy, ethical and collaborative leaders – especially from those who are sworn to protect us and uphold the law," Rep. Kevin Mullin, Rep. Anna Eshoo, California Senator Josh Becker, Assemblymember Marc Berman and Assemblymember Diane Papan said in their statement. 

SEE ALSO: San Mateo County assistant sheriff resigns amid department turmoil

In a statement on Tuesday, Corpus said the supervisors' vote was "wrongheaded and anti-democratic."

She said, in part, "It is a mean-spirited political scheme. This charter amendment with sunset language that only applies to me is an effort to go around the voters to try to unseat me. I will fight it tooth and nail. I am not going anywhere… If you want a Sheriff out, you hold a recall. This is a blatant attempt to go around the voters. They don’t want a recall vote because they know they will lose."