San Mateo County Sheriff Denies Placing Sgt. On Leave In Retaliation For Whistleblowing

SAN MATEO, CA — A veteran San Mateo County Sheriff's Office sergeant -- who is a witness in proceedings against Sheriff Christina Corpus -- has been placed on administrative leave, according to the sergeant's lawyer.

Sgt. Joe Fava was placed on leave without explanation last week, according to attorney Charles Stone.

"As we know, Sgt. Fava was recently identified as a key witness in removal proceedings against Sheriff Corpus as a result of her own attorneys failing to file documents with the court confidentially," Stone said Monday.

"Given that recent revelation, I know that a lot of people find the timing of this administrative leave decision interesting, to say the least," Stone said.

RELATED: County Accuses Bay Area Sheriff Of Affair With Staffer And Punishing Whistleblowers

On Monday, Corpus strongly disputed the notion that Fava was placed on leave improperly or as any kind of retaliation, calling such suggestions "patently false."

The latest twist in the saga of accusations and counter claims involving Corpus began in late June, when several documents that were supposed to remain confidential were instead filed publicly in San Mateo County Superior Court by Corpus' lawyers.

One of those documents is a report stemming from an independent investigation by the law firm Keker, Van Nest & Peters that alleges grounds for removing Corpus from office exist based on multiple factors, including testimony from Fava.

On Monday, the San Mateo County Organization of Sheriff's Sergeants said it was worried that the decision to place Fava on leave was connected to his role in the Keker report.

"As a key contributor to the Keker investigation, he helped bring to light serious violations of policy, including retaliation and nepotism," OSS officials said in a news release. "Without transparency, this decision appears to reflect a broader pattern of retaliation against those who speak up."

Corpus said in a news release Monday that such claims are part of a larger pattern involving her critics weaponizing "the press or internal complaints in service of political agendas."

"Sergeant Fava was not placed on leave for any improper or retaliatory reason. His temporary administrative leave is entirely unrelated to any comments or cooperation he may have provided in the Keker report," Corpus said. "Any suggestion to the contrary is both irresponsible and reckless, and it undermines the integrity of the internal affairs processes that govern all public safety personnel."

Corpus has been accused of abuse of power, retaliation, using racial and homophobic slurs, nepotism and placing her chief of staff -- allegedly her romantic partner -- in a high-paying role.

In March, voters approved Measure A, amending the county charter to grant the San Mateo Board of Supervisors authority to remove the sheriff for cause with a supermajority vote. In June, the board unanimously accepted Chief Probation Officer John Keene's recommendation to remove her, marking the first such use of this provision in California history.

Corpus is also the subject of a San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury investigation, which accuses her of having a conflict of interest pertaining to the hiring and supervision of her department's former executive director of administration, Victor Aenlle.

The grand jury also accused Corpus of three counts of retaliation, pertaining to the termination of former assistant sheriff Ryan Monaghan, the transfer of Captain Brian Philip, and the arrest of Deputy Carlos Tapia, the president of the deputy sheriff's association.

Corpus has denied wrongdoing, called the accusations against her politically motivated, sued the county, and vowed to fight through appeals.

By Kiley Russell

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