San Mateo County: Aenlle sues county, alleges retaliation and defamation

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Victor Aenlle, who is alleged to have had a personal relationship with the embattled San Mateo County sheriff has been rehired by the sheriff as a reserve deputy.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - Victor Aenlle, a central figure in the scandal surrounding San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the county and some of its top officials on Thursday.

New civil rights lawsuit

The 114-page complaint accuses the county of retaliation, wrongful termination, abuse of power, and defamation. County Executive Mike Callagy and the board of supervisors are also named as defendants in the lawsuit.

"The County of San Mateo, Defendant Callagy, and its officials terminated Dr. Aenlle's employment as Chief of Staff, deprived him of procedural and substantive due process, and retaliated against him for protected speech and association in support of Sheriff Corpus," the lawsuit reads.

In November 2024, the county released a scathing, 400-page investigation by retired judge LaDoris Cordell alleging that Corpus had an inappropriate relationship with Aenlle and that the pair fostered a culture of intimidation and retaliation in the sheriff's office.

The report sparked numerous calls for her resignation, but she remained defiant, arguing that she is a victim of a "good ol' boys club" culture within the sheriff's office.

Instead of holding a recall election, the board of supervisors took the unprecedented step of putting a charter amendment, Measure A, on the ballot that would grant the Board the authority to remove Corpus. In March's special election, voters overwhelmingly approved Measure A, a removal process that is currently underway.

Following the release of the Cordell report, the supervisors fired Aenlle by eliminating the chief of staff position and barring him from entering county facilities not open to the public.

Claims of defamation, unfair termination and retaliation

Nearly one year later, Aenlle is accusing the county of unfairly terminating him, defaming his name, and retaliating against him for his support of Corpus.

"This case is about standing up for the fundamental rights of every American -- free speech, due process, and equal protection under the law," Aenlle said in a statement. "If they can do this to me, they can do it to anyone."

In the Cordell report, Aenlle was accused of buying Corpus a pair of diamond earrings and going on vacation with her to Hawaii.

It also suspected that Aenlle did not meet the qualifications of a sworn peace officer, which led to conclusions that he improperly wore a gold badge and unlawfully had access to department-issued rifles with silencers.

The allegations led some supervisors, like Ray Mueller and Noelia Corzo, to suggest that Aenlle was a danger to the county.

"In alleged reliance on the report, Defendant Mueller represented that Dr. Aenlle was unsafe, was not lawfully allowed to wear a badge or carry a gun, and that Dr. Aenlle was a threat to his coworkers and the community," according to the lawsuit.

According to the board of supervisors, it was these accusations that based its decision to remove his position.

However, the Cordell report itself has no legal basis and cannot be upheld in a court of law.

Embattled San Mateo County sheriff Corpus taps former chief of staff for new role

A memo shows Sheriff Christina Corpus has moved Victor Aenlle, who she is alleged to have had an inappropriate relationship with, to a volunteer role in the Concealed Carry Weapons unit.

Aenlle argued that the Board and Callagy were "demonizing" because he was a part of Corpus' executive team, according to the complaint.

"Sheriff Corpus was the target of the smear campaign," the lawsuit reads. "But, in furtherance thereof, Dr. Aenlle personally became the target of harassment, character assassination and retaliation for his support of Sheriff Corpus."

Like Corpus, Aenlle claimed that Callagy had aligned with the status quo in the sheriff's office and was part of a larger group resistant to Corpus' visions of change. The complaint alleges that Callagy, whose role as county executive is separate from the sheriff's office, tried to destabilize the relationship between the sheriff's unions and Corpus' administration.

"When Dr. Aenlle took efforts to blow the whistle in County corruption and seek accountability for terminable offenses by Defendant Callagy's cohort, Dr. Aenlle was immediately met with outrage, and later retaliation," the lawsuit states.

The suit comes several weeks after a 10-day administrative hearing concluded where Aenlle testified, denying he had a romantic relationship with Corpus and reiterating the lack of credibility in the Cordell report.

The full evidentiary hearing, which was one of the final stages in the Measure A process to remove Corpus, featured testimony from key witnesses and gave Corpus the opportunity to defend herself.

What's next:

The judge who oversaw the hearing was given up to 45 calendar days to send a written recommendation to the Board of Supervisors. The recommendation must contain an opinion on whether there are grounds for Corpus' removal.

Once the board receives the recommendation, it will have no more than 30 days to make a decision.

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