“As part of its commitment to a comprehensive, transparent and independent investigation, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors will engage an independent firm to investigate the allegations made by Sheriff Christina Corpus,” Supervisors Noelia Corzo and Ray Mueller said in an announcement on behalf of the board.
The supervisors said the board also directed the county attorney's office to tell the California Attorney General's Office of “matters related to the sheriff's office.”
In a criticism Sunday, Corpus said any investigation into Callagy “should cover his attempts to conspire against an elected sheriff, discrimination, sexual harassment, abuse of power and ongoing interference in the operations of the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office.”
Corpus said it will refer the matter to the state level if the board didn’t act.
Corzo and Mueller said Monday that the panel is reviewing the criticism and can “take the time necessary to determine the appropriate course of action.” Callagy, they noted, “rejects the sheriff's allegations as false and defamatory” and “welcomes a full, transparent and independent investigation of all allegations made against him.”
“County Executive Callagy has been an ethical public servant in San Mateo County for over 41 years,” supervisors said Monday. “Unless proven otherwise, the board will continue to have complete faith and trust in his leadership.”
The criticism comes as a part of a separate investigation the committee commissioned to look into “multiple personnel allegations” related to the sheriff's office. Former Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge LaDoris Cordell is leading the independent investigation.
That investigation took a surprising turn last week when Mueller revealed that Corpus Assistant Sheriff Ryan Monaghan, her third deputy, had been fired after Cordell questioned him. The timing “suggests possible retaliation” against Monaghan for his participation within the investigation, Mueller said Friday in an announcement on behalf of the panel.
Cordell was asked to analyze whether Corpus took any retaliatory motion against Monaghan.
In its criticism, Corpus said Monaghan was fired due to his “performance underperformance and failure to expeditiously implement the goals of the Sheriff's Office,” not because he sat down for an interview with Cordell.
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