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. It was not long after this that Corpus and Aenlle traveled together to Maui.

Barnes also testified about $12,000 in cash that Aenlle allegedly gave to Corpus to purchase some diamond earrings, which she insists she bought for herself using her own cash.

The report includes other witness statements about seeing text messages from Aenlle that said things like "I love you," and hearing Corpus saying things like, "If [Victor] ever leaves me, I don't know how I'll make it. I won't survive." One employee also reported an inappropriate comment by Aenlle in the workplace, saying of Corpus, "We're practicing a lot to have kids."  It remains to be seen if witnesses will corroborate these statements in future days of this hearing.

Corpus spoke to reporters outside the hearing on Wednesday, saying of Aenlle, "I believed in what he was doing. He believed in my vision for 21st Century policing, and they didn't like that."

Corpus continued, "I was not going to allow for someone to tell me who I can have on my team, and I stand by my decision... Just because I believed in him, I trust him, you have to have people you trust on your team, that doesn't mean I crossed a line or anything like that."

The hearing is expected to conclude a week from Friday, after which retired Judge James Emerson, who is serving as hearing officer, will deliver a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors as to whether there is cause to remove Corpus from office.

Separately, Corpus us facing a civil grand jury trial that also will result in a finding regarding cause for removal.

Previously: San Mateo County Sheriff Testifies Before County Board, Denies Romantic Relationship