Former Ally Testifies About Evidence of San Mateo County Sheriff's Romantic Relationship That She Denies

Day 3 testimony contradicted previous denials that Sheriff Christina Corpus had a romantic relationship with Victor Aenlle, the man she hired as chief of staff. Allegations include conflict of interest in the hiring, retaliation, and inappropriate conduct tied to that relationship. A September 2022 Hawaii trip with Corpus, Aenlle, and Corpus's children without her then-husband appears in a 400-page investigator's report and was witnessed by a sworn employee on the same flight. Corpus initially denied the trip but later said Aenlle accompanied her to help calm her autistic son and that they only had coffee as colleagues. A former ally testified to witnessing intimate behavior and that wedding venue searches were requested for the pair.

Some testimony on Day 3 of the removal hearing for San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus contradicts her claims that she had no romantic relationship with the man she hired as her chief of staff. Sheriff Corpus has called Victor Aenlle (pronounced ay-en-jay) a "colleague, a trusted confidante, and a friend," but she has spent the last nine months denying that she and Aenlle had any sort of romantic relationship. The question of whether the two were romantically involved lies at the center of the battle over Corpus's possible removal from office she stands accused of conflict of interest in the hiring of Aenlle as her chief of staff, in addition to other accusations of retaliation and inappropriate conduct.

One significant piece of evidence running counter to Corpus's defense is a September 2022 trip to Hawaii that Aenlle took with Corpus and her children, without her then-husband. As detailed in a 400-page independent investigator's report ABC 7 has a copy of the full report here a former sworn employee of the sheriff's office was on the same flight to Maui and saw Corpus on the flight with Aenlle. Per the report, Corpus initially denied traveling to Hawaii with Aenlle. But in testimony on Monday before the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, Corpus admitted to bringing Aenlle along on the flight in order help calm her autistic son, who she said trusted Aenlle. While in Hawaii, Corpus testified she only saw Aenlle once, to have coffee as colleagues.

As KPIX reports, the third day of the 10-hearing saw testimony from Valerie Barnes, described as a "former ally and close supporter" of the sheriff, who is cited in the investigator's report multiple times. Barnes testified that she witnessed intimate behavior, including kisses and foot rubs, between Corpus and Aenlle, and that she had been tasked with searching for wedding venues in Hawaii for the pair, who intended to get married to each other after they divorced their spouses.

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