Local Democrat Official Arrested For DUI Goes Heavy On The Booze In St. Paddy’s Day Stunt

Political chutzpah or sheer stupidity?

Samantha Steele, a Democratic commissioner on Illinois’s Cook County Board of Review, was arrested in November 2024 for allegedly being drunk while driving and crashing into another vehicle.

Chicago police allegedly found Steele lying on the sidewalk near the two crashed cars, according to multiple reports. She allegedly refused sobriety tests or to answer questions at the scene. As she was taken into custody, she repeatedly asked the arresting officer, “Is your penis that small?” (RELATED: Democratic Illinois Official Accused Of Driving Drunk Allegedly Asked Police Officer Lewd Question Multiple Times)

A first-term Cook County elected official was arrested and charged with drunk driving Sunday on the North Side, Chicago Police records show.https://t.co/TMt7BXvPxW

— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) November 12, 2024

I guess in today’s world, that’s not big enough of a scandal to force one out of office — or resign in shame.

In fact, Steele is up for reelection Tuesday. On Sunday, she was spotted at a St. Patrick’s Day parade, rocking all green, pulling a wagon with her campaign sign, handing out “Steele branded beer koozies,” and “apparently drinking.”

Cook County Commissioner Samantha Steele, out on bond for DUI, handed out Samantha Steele branded beer koozies while apparently drinking at a St. Patrick’s Day parade yesterday 🍀 🍺 pic.twitter.com/kxM18rIgwM

— Frank Calabrese (@FrankCalabrese) March 16, 2026

(Note well, Frank Calabrese, the man who shared the photo on X, is a former Steele aide and whistleblower who alleged in a lawsuit that he was fired for cooperating with an investigation into Steele and her chief of staff.)

I would be shocked if Steele were able to pull off a reelection win. Not that I know anything about the intricacies of very local Chicago politics, but this body-cam footage alone should be enough to tank anyone’s career, whether they’re running for Congress or control of the board that assesses property tax values.

It is a sign of the times, though, that fewer politicians seem to resign over scandals, however big or small. It’s a sign that American politics, even at the very local level, is soaked with nihilism — as well as booze.