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San Mateo County Acting Assistant sheriff Matthew Fox has resigned, San Mateo County officials confirmed Friday, Nov. 15. This resignation comes just two days after the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors released a report detailing several allegations — including retaliation and abuse toward employees and an affair with chief of staff Victor Aenlle — against Sheriff Christina Corpus. A day later, on Saturday, Corpus second-in-command, Undersheriff Dan Perea, released a statement saying he stood by Corpus and had not himself resigned from his position despite a media report stating that he had.
County spokesperson Michelle Durand and Supervisor Ray Mueller confirmed to this news organization that Fox had resigned.
Fox was promoted to his role as acting assistant sheriff, the third in command in the Sheriff’s Office, just two months ago, after Corpus fired her former Assistant Sheriff Ryan Monaghan. According to the 408-page report that was released on an investigation into the Sheriff’s Office by Judge LaDoris H. Cordell, Corpus allegedly fired Monaghan after he cooperated in the investigation.
At the time, Corpus denied that the firing had anything to do with Monaghan’s involvement in Cordell’s investigation.
“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,” she said at a press conference in September when she fired Monaghan. “The coach picks the team. Period.”
The report later revealed that Monaghan was fired just two days after speaking with Cordell in cooperation with the investigation.
Meanwhile, Perea said on Saturday that he continues to “have complete confidence and respect for Sheriff Christina Corpus, our employees, and the voters of San Mateo County who elected her … to carry out reforms. I remain committed to serving Sheriff Christina Corpus as she continues to bring change in the face of entrenched resistance.”
‘I remain committed to serving Sheriff Christina Corpus as she continues to bring change in the face of entrenched resistance.’
undersheriff dan perea
Perea replaced former undersheriff Chris Hsiung, who departed in June.
A week of shakeups
On Nov. 13, the board also voted to eliminate Aenlle’s chief of staff position, a role that came with a nearly $250,000 salary that Corpus created specifically for Aenlle. The supervisors also formally called on her to resign.
At the meeting, as the Board of Supervisors were preparing to make a formal call for her to resign and to eliminate her alleged romantic partner Aenlle’s position, a defiant Corpus made a surprise appearance and announced that she would be promoting Aenlle to assistant sheriff “effective immediately.”
It is unclear if Aenlle qualifies for the position of assistant sheriff, according to a statement made by county attorney John Nibbelin at the Nov. 13 meeting. This means that San Mateo County could now be without an assistant sheriff.
County Executive Mike Callagy also barred Aenlle from all areas of San Mateo County-owned buildings that are not otherwise open to the public.
This news organization reached out to Corpus’ office to ask about her reasons for promoting Aenlle, and the mechanics of the promotion. Her office has not responded.
According to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office website, Fox has worked in law enforcement in the county for over 25 years. Prior to joining the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office in 2023, Fox worked at the Daly City Police Department. Before being promoted to acting assistant sheriff, Fox served as the captain overseeing the Sheriff’s Office’s community engagement unit, where he focused on the communities of North Fair Oaks, Portola Valley and Woodside.
The Sheriff’s Office has not responded to requests for comment on Fox’s resignation.
Almanac Editor Angela Swartz contributed to this story.
Read The Almanac’s recap of the 408-page report.
