Samantha Steele DUI Arrest

On November 11, 2024, Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele crashed her vehicle into two parked cars in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood. Witnesses reported that Steele, visibly intoxicated, tried to flee the scene but was unable to drive away due to damage to her car. When police arrived, she refused to exit her vehicle or provide her driver’s license, repeatedly invoking her position by stating, “I’m an elected official." Officers noted a strong smell of alcohol, bloodshot eyes, and found a half-empty bottle of red wine on the floor of her car. Steele was eventually arrested after she called Cook County Commissioner Scott Britton, who she identified as her "attorney" to police," who advised her to comply. While being treated at the hospital following the crash, Steele mocked an Asian Chicago police officer by repeatedly asking, “Is your penis that small?” She now faces a criminal DUI charge. The Chicago Sun-Times editorial board has called for her resignation, citing her combative behavior and failure to show remorse. Despite public outrage, Steele has refused to apologize and continues to serve on the influential Board of Review, which handles property tax appeals affecting millions of Cook County residents.