San Mateo County supervisors vote unanimously to oust sheriff
San Mateo County supervisors vote unanimously to oust sheriff
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Tuesday morning to oust Sheriff Christina Corpus from office following a misconduct investigation, but she won't leave, at least immediately.
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Tuesday morning to oust Sheriff Christina Corpus from office following a misconduct investigation, but she won't leave, at least immediately.
"I didn't do anything wrong," Corpus told a bank of reporters after the vote.
Her lawyer, Thomas Mazzuco, added that he plans to appeal the vote, most likely to a panel of three retired judges.
"She's not resigning," Mazzuco said. "She didn't get to where she is without being a fighter. She's going to fight this in court, in front of a judge or a neutral arbitrator."
He called the removal process politically motivated, and he alleged that two of the supervisors were biased against Corpus.
Supervisor Dave Canepa acknowledged after the meeting that Corups has the right to appeal the supervisor's vote.
The board had already signaled their desire to remove Corpus, who faces multiple alleged acts of misconduct based on an independent investigation conducted by law firm Keker, Van Nest & Peters LLP, supported by over 500 pages of evidence and 42 witness interviews, the County Executive's Office said.
According to the findings, the sheriff allegedly violated the law in the performance of her duties, neglected those duties repeatedly and flagrantly, and obstructed an investigation into her conduct -- grounds for removal under the County Charter.
The process stems from Measure A, a voter-approved amendment to the county charter passed in 2022 that allows the Board to remove a sheriff for cause with a supermajority vote through the end of 2028. The measure passed with approximately 84% of the 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.
Bay City News contributed to this report.