Following a high-profile fight between San Mateo County and Sheriff Christina Corpus over an independent investigation that accuses her of abuse of power, retaliation, intimidation, homophobia and racism in her office, the city has offered Corpus $1 million and four years of health care in exchange for her resignation.
This according to the media ABC 7 News, who said sources close to the negotiations between the county and Corpus told I-Team reporter Dan Noyes that after the sheriff and her attorney rejected the offer, the city would offer more money.
San Mateo County District Attorney John Nibbelin said he would not confirm what are believed to be confidential conversations between attorneys.
However, the news network said that when contacted Friday night, Sheriff Corpus declined to comment on the report, but the sheriff had previously told the outlet that she was “disgusted” by the campaign against her and would not resign from her position as sheriff of San Mateo County.
Just this past Tuesday, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors fired another salvo in their ongoing battle against Sheriff Christina Corpus when they voted to move forward with a charter amendment that would allow them to remove her from office.
The board voted 4-0, with Supervisor David Canepa absent, to approve the second reading of an ordinance placing the amendment on the March 4 ballot so voters can decide whether supervisors should be allowed to expand their authority to fire Corpus.
Corpus is accused of retaliating against Sheriff's Office employees, using racist and homophobic slurs and giving too much power to his civilian chief of staff, Victor Aenlle, whom independent investigator and retired judge LaDoris Cordell found in her 400-page report to have had an inappropriate personal relationship with the sheriff, an allegation Corpus denies.
Corpus has repeatedly rejected calls for his resignation that have come from the board and from local, state and federal leaders such as U.S. Reps. Kevin Mullin and Anna Eshoo, state Sen. Josh Becker and Assemblymembers Marc Berman and Diane Papan.
Since Corpus took office in 2023, more than 100 sworn employees have left the Sheriff's Office and she has been the subject of votes of no confidence by unions representing her department's deputies, sergeants and lieutenants.
While the supervisors voted to move forward with the measure, they also agreed to extend a formal invitation to Corpus to explain himself under oath before the board at its Dec. 10 meeting.
If approved by a simple majority of county voters, the amendment would allow supervisors to remove the sheriff by a four-fifths vote "for cause, including violation of law relating to the duties of a sheriff, flagrant or repeated neglect of duties, misappropriation of public funds, willful falsification of documents or obstruction of an investigation."
It would also require supervisors to give written reasons for their dismissal and hold a hearing before the vote.
The charter amendment would expire on Dec. 31, 2028, ending the board's ability to fire the sheriff.
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