Christina Corpus

Early Life and Career

Corpus was born in Daly City, California in to immigrant parents from Nicaragua and Mexico. She was raised by a single mother. As a teenager, she survived an attempted carjacking and kidnapping outside Tanforan Mall, an event she later described as motivating her to enter law enforcement. She was sworn in as sheriff on January 3, 2023.

Half Moon Bay mass shooting

On January 23, 2023, the Sheriff's Office responded to a mass shooting in Half Moon Bay in which seven farmworkers were killed and one injured. Deputies arrested suspect Chunli Zhao.

During the 2025 removal proceedings, a defense witness testified that Corpus supported immigrant residents after the Half Moon Bay shooting.

Meliora Assessment On July 18, 2024, Corpus's office released an assessment from Meliora Public Safety Consulting Meliora Assessment. Corpus said it was the first outside audit in the history of the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office.

Among other issues, the report identified staffing shortages at a "critical juncture" to the point that the office should reduce services.

July – November 2024: surface of complaints and start of investigation In July 2024, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors hired retired judge LaDoris Cordell to investigate HR complaints against Corpus and her Chief of Staff, Victor Aenlle. Corpus did not respond to Cordell’s offer to be interviewed. Corpus responded "When the people of San Mateo County elected me as sheriff, they entrusted me to make decisions about who I include on my executive staff. The coach picks the team. Period." Corpus rejected the finding, stating "I stand by my complaint. Why would I make something up like that?" Corpus said: "no one will intimidate me into making personnel changes." District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe dropped the charges in December 2024. In April 2025, PERB found that Corpus and Aenlle had discriminated and retaliated against Tapia. In June 2025, Tapia sued Corpus for false arrest, discrimination, and retaliation. authored by Cordell. The investigation interviewed 40 current and former employees in the Sheriff's Department and concluded that (a) Corpus had "a personal relationship, beyond mere friendship" with Aenlle, and (b) Corpus violated the county's policies on nepotism and conflict of interest in hiring Aenlle. The report also found evidence to support claims that Corpus used slurs against people based on race and sexuality. The report recommended that Aenlle be fired and Corpus resign.

In April 2025, Corpus's legal team released a report from retired judge Burke E. Strunsky, which stated that the Cordell report was insufficient to justify Corpus's removal due to the anonymity of witnesses and reported inaccuracies.

Calls to resign and Measure A On November 13, 2024, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors passed a vote of no confidence in Corpus and removed Aenlle's position as chief executive. In response, Corpus appointed Aenlle to assistant sheriff.

Elected officials Kevin Mullin, Anna Eshoo, Josh Becker, Marc Berman, and Diane Papan called on Corpus to step down. The city councils of San Carlos and Millbrae also passed votes of no confidence.

On December 3, 2024, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors voted to hold a special election in March 2025 to temporarily grant the Board the authority to remove an elected sheriff for "cause"—a power it had not previously held. Corpus denounced the measure as “wrongheaded and anti-democratic,” calling it “a mean-spirited political scheme” designed to bypass voters and overturn the results of her election.

Removal Proceedings The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors started another investigation led by the law firm Keker, Van Nest & Peters that concluded in May 2025. The Keker report said that Corpus violated the law by obstructing investigations and neglecting the duties of her office. Originally confidential, the Keker report became available to the public in July 2025 when Corpus's attorneys filed the documents unsealed.

On June 24, 2025, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to initiate removal proceedings granted under Measure A. Corpus appealed the decision. Retired judge James Emerson presided over an evidentiary hearing in August where the county and Corpus could submit testimony. On October 6, 2025, Emerson released an opinion that Corpus broke the law in conflicts of interest concerning Aenlle and acts of retaliation.

On October 14th, 2025, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to remove Corpus from office. Corpus continued to deny any wrongdoing. Hours after her removal for cause, Corpus retired with her full pension and benefits, guaranteed for life.

On November 12, 2025, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors appointed Ken Binder to be the next Sheriff.