Watch: Cook County official Samantha Steele rolls eyes as she gets arrested for DUI after crash

Newly released body camera footage has revealed Illinois Democrat Samantha Steele’s confrontational behaviour during her arrest for drunk driving.
Steele, 45, a commissioner on the Cook County Board of Review, was detained on 10 November after crashing into another vehicle in Chicago’s Ravenswood neighbourhood.

According to NBC Chicago, Steele’s car and the other vehicle involved sustained extensive damage. Officers noted that Steele appeared intoxicated, with bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, and a strong smell of alcohol.
An open bottle of red wine was also found on the passenger side floor of her vehicle. Steele refused to perform sobriety tests, reportedly saying, “I want my lawyer, and I’m not talking to you.”
Bodycam footage captured Steele repeatedly mentioning her position as an elected official.
She stated, “I’m an elected official,” in an apparent attempt to resist arrest. At one point, when officers warned her to cooperate, Steele retorted, “You don’t want that,” before smugly referencing her Cook County affiliation.
The footage also shows Steele mocking officers.
According to the Daily Mail, she also asked one officer if his “pe**s was that small,” a comment she reportedly repeated during her hospital visit after complaining of a head injury. Steele initially refused to leave her car, prompting officers to warn they would remove her if necessary.
Steele was charged with one misdemeanour count of driving under the influence of alcohol and is scheduled to appear in court on 27 December. The first-term Democrat, elected in 2022, has also faced previous controversy.
As per the Chicago Tribune, a former aide filed a whistleblower lawsuit in July, accusing her of ethics violations and retaliation, including leaking confidential information and exhibiting bias in public comments.
The incident has sparked widespread criticism, with calls for accountability and a recommendation for ethics training following previous findings against Steele.
Her future as a public official remains uncertain as legal proceedings continue.