Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele, already under fire for a 2024 DUI arrest, is now facing a fresh wave of controversy after the Cook County Board of Ethics fined her and her top aides thousands of dollars for multiple violations, including leaking confidential information and misuse of taxpayer-funded time and resources.

Cook County Commissioner Samantha Steele hired Jon Snyder, a federally convicted former official who aided in a corruption probe. Despite knowing his record, Steele kept him on staff until media inquiries prompted his firing. Internal records show ethics violations, which Steele initially ignored.

Cook County paid $180,000 to settle a wrongful termination lawsuit against Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele. Ex-staffer Frank Calabrese alleged he was fired for refusing to release confidential info about the Bears’ tax appeal and for cooperating with the Inspector General. He later released Steele’s DUI arrest video, where she allegedly told police, “Is your penis that small?” The IG faulted Steele for ethics violations and improper disclosures.