Chicago Commissioner Samantha Steele Seen on Camel, Drink in Hand in Morocco While on Bond for DUI
Cook County Commissioner Samantha Steele is facing scrutiny after being seen riding a camel and drinking while vacationing in Morocco, despite being on bond for a DUI charge. According to court records, Steele did not receive permission to leave the country.
Steele, who serves on the three-member panel that hears property tax appeals in Cook County, was arrested on Nov. 10 after crashing into two parked cars in the 5000 block of North Ashland Avenue. She was charged with misdemeanor driving under the influence, leading to the suspension of her driver’s license. However, after her attorney argued in court that police had improperly failed to warn her of the consequences of refusing a field sobriety test, a judge granted her request to have her license reinstated while the case proceeds.
Body camera footage from the arrest shows Steele, 45, repeatedly refusing to show police her driver’s license and proof of insurance, insisting that her attorney was on the way.
“I’ll wait for him,” Steele said in the video. “I’m an elected official. I don’t want any of this, and I’ll wait for him.” Officers repeatedly warned Steele that she could be arrested if she did not comply. She eventually called her attorney, who advised her to provide her identification.
After finally handing over her license and proof of insurance, officers found an open, half-empty bottle of wine in her car. Though she insisted she had not been drinking, Steele initially refused a field sobriety test and was subsequently handcuffed. She later agreed to take the test but then claimed to have hit her head during the crash and requested an ambulance. She was handcuffed again and transported for medical evaluation.
According to reports, Cook County Commissioner Scott Britton acted as her attorney on the night of her arrest but is no longer representing her. Attorney John Fotopoulos is now handling her DUI case.
Steele was due back in court on Feb. 14.
