Victor Aenlle, the former chief of staff to San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus, who is facing two separate removal efforts, has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the county and top officials, alleging retaliation for his support of the county’s first Latina sheriff.
The 114-page lawsuit, announced Thursday by attorneys at the Fellner Law Group in San Francisco, accuses county officials of illegally targeting and firing Aenlle through “code enforcement, illegal searches, and false reports” in an effort to destabilize Corpus’ administration. Corpus defeated a longtime incumbent in a historic election but has faced mounting scrutiny over her leadership.
Aenlle is a central figure in the controversy surrounding Corpus’ tenure. He has been accused of having an inappropriate relationship with the sheriff and usurping her authority. Both deny the allegations, saying their relationship was strictly professional and that hiring civilians to executive roles is not unusual.
The lawsuit names San Mateo County, County Executive Officer Michael Callagy and other officials as defendants. It seeks damages for alleged violations of Aenlle’s First Amendment right to free speech, Fourth Amendment protection against unlawful searches and the 14th Amendment guarantees of due process and equal protection.
“This case is about standing up for the fundamental rights of every American — free speech, due process, and equal protection under the law,” Aenlle said in a statement. “If they can do this to me, they can do it to anyone.”
The complaint alleges county officials conspired to harass and intimidate both Aenlle and Corpus through what it describes as a campaign of retaliation. According to the lawsuit, one example was a “pretextual search” of Aenlle’s property carried out under the authority of the Farm Labor Task Force.
Before joining the sheriff’s executive team, Aenlle worked as a real estate professional and investor. The lawsuit claims county officials knew his property did not contain farm labor housing but entered anyway, using the task force as a pretext to bypass warrant requirements and search for code violations.
The suit alleges the Department of Planning and Building threatened Aenlle’s tenants with legal action to gain property access. Once inside, officials cited him for violations on decades-old structures without providing clear explanations of how or why the violations were identified.
In October 2024, Aenlle accused the county of releasing details of the search to media to suggest he was maintaining substandard farm labor housing, allegations he has denied. The lawsuit claims this was intended to “destroy his reputation and career.”
The complaint further alleges the county threatened Aenlle with “ruinous and unlawful fines” and removal of his family home.
According to the suit, Aenlle was told the only way to resolve the issue was to demolish his residence, despite never receiving clear instructions on addressing the alleged violations.
Aenlle’s attorneys describe this as the “weaponization of code enforcement” as part of a larger retaliation campaign. The lawsuit also claims taxpayer funds were improperly used to pay for a costly investigation by retired Judge LaDoris Cordell, describing it as a pretext to discredit Corpus’ administration.
The county’s 400-page investigation released last year concluded that “lies, secrecy, intimidation, retaliation, conflicts of interest and abuses of authority are the hallmarks of the Corpus administration.”
Ironically, Aenlle’s lawsuit mirrors much of that same language, alleging the county subjected him to the same pattern of retaliation, intimidation and harassment.
San Mateo County did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the lawsuit.
Corpus currently faces two separate removal efforts. One operates under Measure A, a voter-approved initiative passed in March that gave the Board of Supervisors authority to remove an elected sheriff through 2028. The other stems from a civil grand jury accusation filed in June alleging misconduct and abuse of power.
The Measure A removal hearing concluded in late August. Retired Judge James Emerson, who presided over the proceedings, has 45 days to submit his recommendation to the Board of Supervisors, which then has 30 days to review and vote.
Removing Corpus would require a four-fifths vote. If supervisors oust her, they would have 30 days to appoint a replacement or call a special election. If they fail to act, the county elections office must schedule an election immediately, meaning the issue may not be resolved until late fall.
If removed, Corpus would be the first elected sheriff in California ever ousted by a county board.
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