Ethics Board Slams Commissioner Steele and Staff with Thousands in Fines
- Nick Cicero
- Jun 27
- 2 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
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. Steele, a candidate in the upcoming Democratic primary for County Assessor, is accused of breaking the county's ethics rules multiple times, with documented findings that raise serious questions about her fitness for public office.
The Board of Ethics found that Samantha Steele “improperly shared appraisal information” regarding the Chicago Bears’ Arlington Heights property with the media three separate times, violating confidentiality rules. Notably, her leaks came “in the middle of settlement negotiations” and again during a formal appeal, according to the Tribune. Despite being warned by the county’s general counsel to refrain from commenting on pending board matters—due to concerns about appearing “subject to inappropriate outside influences”—Steele still gave comments to Crain’s Chicago Business, NBC Chicago, and the Tribune. The ethics board fined her $3,000 for these repeated breaches of confidentiality, citing the erosion of public trust.
Steele’s office was also penalized for allowing her scheduler, Ryan McIntyre, to attend a political conference on county time, despite clear warnings that it was unrelated to county duties. McIntyre told investigators he was “told to go” to the event by Steele. The board fined Steele $1,000 and her top aide, Dan Balanoff, $750 for approving the trip and associated expenses. The ethics board emphasized that as a commissioner, Steele had “even more of a duty” to uphold the highest ethical standards, including getting pre-authorization for conferences and ensuring staff weren’t engaging in political activity on the taxpayers’ dime.
Balanoff, Steele’s director of special projects, was hit with a $4,500 fine after being caught working for his private law firm, traveling for personal reasons, and attending Cubs games—all while on county time. He posted Instagram pictures from Wrigley Field after clocking in for work, and even joined a virtual Board of Review meeting while flying for a personal trip. The board concluded that this pattern of behavior “creates the appearance of impropriety” and constituted a misuse of public resources. Despite his defense that “we presented that evidence, which was ignored”, and claims of having permission to work remotely, the board firmly rejected his excuses as “unavailing”.
The cascade of ethics violations, misused county funds, and questionable judgment by Samantha Steele and her staff comes as Steele attempts to ascend to higher office as Cook County Assessor. Voters and watchdogs alike should take notice. As the Ethics Board made clear, these aren’t just technicalities, they’re “troubling” breaches of public trust that undermine the integrity of government operations.