Property Tax Appeals Board Member Arrested for Drunk Driving

A Cook County official faces a misdemeanor drunk-driving charge after collisions on Chicago’s North Side.

Police arrested Board of Review commissioner Samantha Steele Sunday night in the 5000 block of North Ashland Avenue following a car accident, the Chicago Sun Times reported. Steele allegedly crashed into a parked car and then hit another car after making a wide turn. Police found her lying on the sidewalk.

Steele, 45, showed signs of intoxication with “bloodshot and glassy” eyes and a “strong odor of alcoholic beverage coming from her breath as she spoke,” according to the police report. Police found an open bottle of red wine in her car.

Steele refused sobriety tests, citing her right to a lawyer and self incrimination. Upon her arrest, she was transported to the hospital for head pain.

Police allege Steele behaved badly after her arrest. She repeatedly said, “Is your penis that small” to an officer, according to the police report.

Cook County Board of Commissioners member Scott Britton was called to the hospital to serve as Steele’s lawyer, but he has passed the case off to a criminal lawyer.

Her court appearance is scheduled for Dec. 27.

As a Board of Review commissioner for District 2, Steele plays a crucial role in deciding property tax appeals — a key responsibility within Cook County.

Since her election in 2022, she has become central to high-stakes tax disputes, most notably lowering the Chicago Bears’ $38 million property tax assessment on the former Arlington International Racecourse.

Steele’s term has been marked by controversy. Her hiring of a former Indiana politician with a federal conviction drew criticism earlier this year, and a whistleblower lawsuit filed by her aide, Frank Calabrese, alleges misconduct within her office.

Steele has not yet made a statement on her arrest.

— Andrew Terrell