A Chicago Democrat found herself in hot water this week after allegedly crashing her vehicle and directing some crude remarks at a police officer during her DUI arrest.
Dem lawmaker gets belligerent during DUI arrest
Samantha Steele, a 45-year-old local politician, has been serving as one of three commissioners on the Cook County Board of Review since her election in 2022.
The trouble began during a Sunday evening drive that ended up with Steele in handcuffs.
The crash took place around 8 p.m. on November 10th along North Ashland Avenue, nestled between the Winnemac and Wolcott Gardens neighborhoods of Chicago.
Responding officers discovered a significant car accident scene involving two vehicles, both showing “extensive” damage.
The Democrat lawmaker was found lying on the sidewalk nearby, according to the police report.
Steele reportedly admitted to the officers that she had crashed her Dodge Charger into a parked Subaru Forester while attempting a wide right turn.
An officer noted, “Her eyes were bloodshot and glassy,” adding that he detected “a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage” on her breath when she relayed the details of the accident.
When police looked in the car, they saw an open bottle of red wine on the passenger’s side floor of her car.
She was asked to perform field sobriety tests, reportedly declined, stating, “I want my lawyer, and I am not talking to you.”
Steele harasses officer during DUI arrest
However, Steele didn’t stay silent for long. She allegedly turned to one of the officers who handcuffed her and quipped repeatedly, “Is your penis that small?”
The reason behind this remark remains unclear, but she allegedly asked the officer repeatedly.
After the incident, she was charged with a misdemeanor for driving while intoxicated.
Following her arrest, rather than contacting a defense attorney, Steele reached out to Scott Britton, a colleague on the Cook County Board of Commissioners.
Britton, however, informed her that he does not practice criminal law and referred her to a different lawyer.
During her arrest, Steele complained of head pain and was subsequently taken to a hospital, police noted.
Steele is no longer in police custody, but is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 27th.
California Democrat found fall-down drunk
Elsewhere, police body camera footage revealed Alameda City Councilmember Trish Herrera Spencer being discovered face down near a nightclub following a conference event in Long Beach on Oct. 17.
Spencer, attending the California Cities Conference, later moved to an event at Bo Beau Kitchen & Roof Tap, departing at 11 PM.
Shortly after, around 12.12 AM, she collapsed outside Alegria nightclub and couldn’t stand, prompting a call to Long Beach police. The footage shows Spencer unconscious on the sidewalk.
Paramedics lifted her onto a stretcher, taking her to St Mary Medical Center, where she was notably belligerent, refusing assistance, and verbally abusive to staff.
According to the police report, a passerby who contacted authorities noted Spencer appeared intoxicated and possibly soiled herself. They attempted to assist her to a Metro station, but she declined help.
During the next 15 minutes, Spencer, wearing her conference badge, resisted police inquiries with slurred, barely decipherable speech due to loud nightclub music.
Officers observed she was bleeding from her eyebrow, unsure how the injury occurred.
Spencer, taken by ambulance at 12.45 AM, was denied entry to Alegria before collapsing.
A bouncer explained an unknown man tried to escort her to a hotel before she fell.
Hospital footage showed Spencer resisting medical treatment, making it necessary for staff to hold her down.
Spencer later claimed limited memory of the incident, asserting she was a crime victim and suffered a concussion, contrary to police conclusions of intoxication.
She managed to fly back to Alameda and began medical follow-ups documenting injuries, including a concussion and bruising.
Spencer complained about missing personal belongings, though some jewelry was visible in the footage, and police secured her phone and purse.
On Wednesday, the Alameda City Council declined to admonish Spencer, after her re-election bid was thwarted during the Nov. 5 election, however some members criticized her actions.
“If this had been an employee of the city, we would be asking questions about that employee’s ability to perform their job, and whether it was becoming of their official capacity, as well,” council member Malia Vella said. “We have to hold ourselves to the same standards that we hold our employees.”
Vella said that being intoxicated at the conference was on brand for Spencer, as she has reportedly witnessed past events where Spencer drank to much in public.
“There’s also been a history of going to events, other conferences, where I’ve encountered her drinking,” Vella remarked. “It’s one thing to go to an event, it’s another thing to end up on the sidewalk outside.”
