San Mateo County Sheriff Cristina Corpus has been removed from office following allegations of a nepotism scandal.
The removal followed months of investigation and a vote that found that Corpus abused her power and used her position to benefit a personal associate.
“The sheriff’s removal is an unfortunate situation, but we are grateful to the San Carlos community for recognizing that it does not reflect on the dedication of our local deputies,” said San Carlos Mayor Sara McDowell.
Corpus, who took office in 2023 as the county’s first female sheriff, has denied wrongdoing and claimed her removal was motivated by sexism. She has since filed a $10 million lawsuit against the county for discrimination.
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors voted five to zero on Oct. 14 to remove Corpus from office, concluding a process initiated by Measure A.
“I would not compromise my integrity, my oath to office, for anyone or anything,” Corpus said, defending her actions during her final hearing a month before the removal.
Throughout the process, Corpus has been adamant about her innocence and continued to fight for her job.
“Everyone in the beginning said there’s no way you can do it, and that really pushed me to work harder,” Corpus said.
Corpus gained support due to her progressive platform and attracted attention for both her female and Latina identity.
“People probably voted for her because they saw she was a woman and they were excited about that, but maybe they didn’t look into her political views,” said Mia Charrie, a Carlmont sophomore.
“Removal is not a punishment; it is a reflection of our collective responsibility to ensure that leadership reflects the ethics and dignity our community deserves,” said San Mateo County Board Supervisor Lisa Gauthier to the press.
Corpus allegedly used her position to create multiple high-paying jobs for someone who was an alleged boyfriend. She also ordered the arrest of the deputies’ union president without proper cause in retaliation for union activity and retaliated against the captain who refused to arrest him.
“This removal process had been based on fair procedures and evidence. Christina Corpus and her legal representatives have had more than enough time and opportunity to speak their piece,” said San Mateo County Board Supervisor Noelia Corzo to the media.
Since Oct. 14, the board has 30 days to either elect a new sheriff or hold an election. Undersheriff Dan Perea was appointed to temporarily perform the sheriff’s duties.
“Yesterday, the Board of Supervisors voted to fill the vacancy through an appointment process,” McDowell said.
The allegations of misuse of power may raise concerns about local leadership.
“I do think that it might cause a bit of a commotion, a bit of a spark of something between people that might have them be thinking like, what’s going to happen?” said Callie Hernandez, a Carlmont sophomore.
McDowell emphasizes that local areas and Carlmont will remain safe.
“Our focus remains on supporting our local deputies and maintaining the high level of safety and trust that our community expects and deserves,” McDowell said.
Hernandez agrees that Carlmont will continue to be a safe environment.
“I personally don’t feel like it’s gonna affect our safety,” Hernandez said.
