“Deep Fakes”: Samantha Steele’s New Defense in DUI Interview

FOX 32’s Anita Blanton questioned Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele about her DUI arrest. Steele denied being drunk, claimed CPD bodycam video was edited, and said she’s a victim of “deep fakes.”

FOX 32 Chicago reporter Anita Blanton recently asked Samantha Steele, a commissioner on the Cook County Board of Review, about her DUI arrest and the body camera video that has circulated publicly.

Steele denied being drunk, rejected the public narrative around the incident, and claimed the Chicago Police Department bodycam video was edited. Then she went further, saying she is a victim of “deep fakes.”

FOX 32’s Anita Blanton questioned Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele about her DUI arrest. Steele denied being drunk, claimed CPD bodycam video was edited, and said she’s a victim of “deep fakes.”

According to Steele, the world is conspiring against her. She claims that the police bodycam videos that depict her as drunk are edited and "deep fakes." Her strong denial of being drunk runs counter to the evidence at the scene of the crash. The facts are that she slammed into parked cars, while she had an open bottle of wine in her car. Further, multiple witnesses noted that she appeared drunk and smelled of alcohol. And this was all on video.

Let's breakdown the facts.

1) Police said they smelled alcohol on Samantha Steele

In the Chicago Police arrest report, the Chicago Police officer wrote that they detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage from Steele’s breath while speaking with her.

2) Police described physical signs of impairment

The same Chicago Police arrest report alleges the officer observed bloodshot and glassy eyes and that Steele was swaying while being interviewed.

3) An open bottle of wine was found by Police inside the car

Multiple outlets report that police found an open bottle of red wine in the vehicle. ABC7 wrote that police said they found an open bottle of wine in her car, and the arrest report also states officers observed an open bottle on the passenger-side floor area. The police bodycam footage captures police finding an open bottle of wine inside her car.

4) Reportedly refused field sobriety testing

Steele repeatedly refused a sobriety test when requested by Chicago police officers, as shown in the police bodycam videos.

5) Eyewitnesses described her as “drunk” and “messed up” and said she tried to leave

A WBEZ report quoting a 911 call says the caller described the driver as “drunk” and “messed up,” and reported Steele appeared to be trying to leave the scene before police arrived. The caller's car was parked on the side of the road when Steele slammed into his car. The caller witnessed the accident from their apartment, next to his parked car. The same report includes an eyewitness describing behavior they believed showed impairment, including delayed responses and eyes “rolling back.”

6) Bodycam coverage includes additional context around alcohol evidence

WBEZ’s reporting on the bodycam footage notes police located what records indicate was a half-empty bottle of red wine near the front passenger seat, and includes a reference to breath mints in the car alongside an “apparent reference” to a strong smell of alcohol. FOX 32’s summary of the police bodycam arrest video says she was “swaying front to back” during questioning

In an interview, Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele talks about being a victim of deep fake videos