A San Mateo County measure giving the board of supervisors temporary authority to remove the sheriff was certified Thursday and voters overwhelmingly supported it by 84 percent.
Now it’s up to the supervisors to make their next move.
Measure A was voted on in a March 4 special election. The charter amendment was spurred by an investigation into alleged misconduct of San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus, who has resisted calls to resign from supervisors, two deputy sheriff unions, and elected city, state and federal officials.
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors resorted to holding a special election after Corpus refused to step down following a scathing 400-page report about her office was released last November.
The author of the investigative report into Corpus, retired Judge LaDoris Cordell, suggested that the sheriff resign, but did not explicitly point out any criminality.
In her report, Cordell interviewed about 40 current and former employees at the sheriff’s office and concluded, “Lies, secrecy, intimidation, retaliation, conflicts of interest, and abuses of authority are all the hallmarks of the Corpus administration. Corpus should step down.”
The San Mateo County Deputy Sheriff’s Association and Organization of Sheriff Sergeants on Thursday sent out a joint statement praising the outcome of the special election.
“While the initiative was in many ways unprecedented, it is our firm belief that, in this case, decisive action was necessary,” reads the statement. “Today’s certified vote means that Sheriff Corpus’ reign of unscrupulous mismanagement will soon come to an end.”
As for Corpus, she has been steadfast in her promise to stay put. She has said the attacks on her are politically motivated because she is a female sheriff up against a group of officers who are part of a “good ol’ boys club.”
Corpus has filed a $10 million lawsuit against the county alleging discrimination and harassment.
Under the amendment to the county charter established by Measure A, removal of Corpus would now require a four-fifths majority vote by the board of supervisors and Corpus will have an opportunity to defend her case. The board’s authority to remove her will expire at the end of 2028.
The board is set to meet on Tuesday, though the agenda for that meeting has not yet been posted.
An attempt to reach Corpus was not immediately returned.
Corpus was elected in 2022 and became the county’s first Latina sheriff.
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