San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus announced Sunday that she has filed a formal complaint against the county’s executive, Mike Callagy, for what she describes as bullying.
Corpus has asked the Board of Supervisors to investigate Callagy, claiming he has undermined her ability to execute her duties as sheriff on various occasions since assuming her role in 2023.
"San Mateo County residents who elected me as their sheriff deserve to know the truth about some serious political dirty dealings. It is undemocratic. It is wrong, and it needs to stop," Corpus said. "Let me make this clear, I will not tolerate further interference in my lawful duties as sheriff... To be crystal clear, I do not work for [Callagy]; I work directly for the people of San Mateo County."
She added that Callagy had empowered employees in "the gold old boy system" and, at one point, asked her if she had ever dated anyone within the county and when.
"As a woman of color who has endured sexual harassment in this very county, I was shocked and appalled by his actions and conduct," she said. "I cannot imagine he would have made such a request of my predecessors, all of whom were men."
If the board does not act, Corpus said, she plans to escalate her complaint to a state level.
Corpus said the “abuse of power and inappropriate practices" she’s experienced stems from a new policy that would increase the mandatory overtime for deputies. Corpus implemented the policy to compensate for what the department is citing as an acute labor shortage.
“Since day one, Mr. Callagy has continued to overstep his authority, routinely inserting himself into the operations of the Sherrif's Office,” Corpus told reporters. "He made a unilateral decision without my further input in negotiating with the unions that have cost the taxpayers of our county $17 million... Mr. Callagy's actions have destabilized labor relations, undermining my abilities to lead effectively. The burden of the current situation with the unions is directly attributed to Mr. Callagy's inappropriate backdoor interference."
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. >Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
The unions representing the officers have objected to the policy, claiming Corpus’ administration has committed several unfair labor practices.
“We believe that our Administration has committed several unfair labor practices, including failure to negotiate in good faith, interference with protected union activities, and failure to properly meet and confer with the unions, as well as implementing changes to all of our hours and working conditions without negotiating over the changes,” read a letter published by the union earlier this month. “We all want a successful Sheriff’s Office where employees are valued and where internal issues can be resolved in a prompt and respectful manner. However, after extensive conversations, meetings, and negotiations with our Administration, we no longer believe that the issues in the Sheriff’s Office can be resolved through the usual, non-adversarial processes.”
Corpus’ claims come amid rising tensions between union members, Corpus, and her Chief of Staff. The county's board of Supervisors has also been investigating the Sheriff's Office.
Earlier this month, the Deputy Sheriff's Association and Organization of Sheriff's Sergeants held a vote of no confidence in Corpus' Chief of Staff, Victor Aenlle. The DSA overwhelmingly passed a vote of no confidence in Aenlle, with a margin of 306 to 12.
According to the letter sent to union members earlier in the month, the organizations claimed that Aenlle "' attempts to undermine union leadership by encouraging members to vote union leaders out."
"We have heard of him repeatedly overstepping his role as civilian chief of staff and have also been made aware of numerous HR complaints," the letter read. "As a result of these issues, the DSA and OSS Boards have determined that a no-confidence vote of the general membership is the next step."
The letter also stated that the unions have also filed complaints with the Public Employment Relations Board. As an agency, PERB works to rule over disputes between public employees and their management.
The complaint filed with the PERB claims that Aenlle's comments are part of a campaign to create distrust between union members and the boars, which the union claims violates state law.
Separately, Corpus announced Sunday that Matthew Fox will be stepping into the acting role of assistant sheriff.
The move comes after Corpus fired former Assistant Sheriff Ryan Monaghan, her third-in-command, on Friday.
A statement issued on behalf of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors said Corpus may have dismissed Monaghan in retaliation for participating in an outside investigation of the Sheriff's Office.
Corpus responded that the board was "entirely out of line" and "pure speculation."
The dispute captured the attention of the Board of Supervisors, which has expressed support for the union and hired an outside investigator, retired California superior court Judge LaDoris Cordell, to look into the discord.
Corpus was sworn in at the start of 2023 after she defeated incumbent Carlos Bolanos in a 2022 vote. Before taking the role, she was most recently the captain assigned to head the Millbrae substation.
Bay City News contributed to this report.
