A Cook County Board of Review commissioner's Sunday evening encounter with law enforcement has sparked controversy in Chicago's political circles.
According to Daily Mail, Samantha Steele, 45, was charged with driving under the influence after crashing her vehicle and subsequently making derogatory remarks to the arresting officer.
The Democratic lawmaker from Evanston was involved in a two-car collision with "extensive damage" in Chicago's Ravenswood neighborhood at 8:49 PM. Officers responding to the scene found Steele showing signs of intoxication, including bloodshot eyes and the smell of alcohol on her breath.
Officers discovered an open bottle of red wine on the passenger side floor of Steele's vehicle. When questioned about her alcohol consumption, Steele refused to cooperate with field sobriety tests and demanded legal representation.
Her uncooperative behavior escalated when she was placed in handcuffs, repeatedly making inappropriate comments about the arresting officer's anatomy.
The first-term commissioner was transported to a hospital after complaining about head injuries sustained during the incident. Despite her position on the powerful Cook County Board of Review, which handles property tax appeals, Steele's conduct during the arrest has raised questions about her judgment.
This incident adds to a series of controversies surrounding Steele's brief political career. In July, her former aide Franke Calabrese filed a whistleblower lawsuit against her and the county property-tax appeal agency.
The lawsuit alleged that Steele and her chief of staff pressured Calabrese to engage in political activities targeting other commissioners.
Steele's judgment was previously questioned when she defended hiring Jon Snyder, a former northwest Indiana politician with a federal tax-related conviction. She also faced criticism from the county's watchdog for leaking confidential tax appeal information related to the Chicago Bears' Arlington Park property purchase.
The commissioner's arrest report documented her hostile behavior. According to the responding officer:
I observed her eyes were bloodshot and glassy. I also detected a strong odor of alcoholic beverage coming from her breathe as she spoke.
Steele, who was elected to the Board of Review in 2022 after working with Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi, represents District 2, which encompasses Chicago's North Side and northern suburbs. Her court appearance for the DUI charge is scheduled for December 27.
A Democratic lawmaker representing Chicago's District 2 faces misdemeanor DUI charges following a Sunday evening crash in the Ravenswood neighborhood. Samantha Steele's arrest occurred after she crashed her vehicle and refused to cooperate with police officers investigating the incident.
The case adds another layer of controversy to Steele's brief political career, which has already been marked by a whistleblower lawsuit and ethics violations related to confidential information leaks. Her upcoming court appearance in December will determine the legal consequences of this latest incident.
