This is how Democrats operate and it simply is wrong.
A senior Rhode Island Democratic official is under fire after newly released police bodycam footage shows her attempting to use political status to avoid arrest — only to be firmly shut down by a police officer during a late-night traffic stop.
The video captures Maria Bucci, 51, the chairwoman of the Democratic committee in Cranston, repeatedly asking an officer, “You know who I am?” after being pulled over on Dec. 18 in East Greenwich. Authorities later charged Bucci with misdemeanor driving under the influence, according to multiple reports.
During the stop, the officer told Bucci he detected alcohol on her breath and observed what he described as erratic driving behavior. When Bucci appeared to suggest her identity should matter, the officer made it clear that it would not.
“I don’t know who you are, miss,” the officer replied. “You can start naming names or doing whatever you think you need to do — it’s not going to work with me. I’m not the guy for that.”
Bodycam footage shows the officer calmly and professionally guiding Bucci through a series of field sobriety tests. As the encounter continues, Bucci becomes increasingly confrontational and demands that influential figures be contacted.
At one point, she instructs the officer to call her husband, the attorney general, and “everybody else in town,” while also making a controversial remark suggesting the situation would be different if she were a different race.
Despite her objections, the officer proceeds with the arrest. As she is placed in handcuffs, Bucci directs insults toward the officer and the body camera, while insisting she had not been drinking.
Earlier in the video, Bucci acknowledged having consumed a glass of wine and attending a Christmas party that evening.
Bucci has long been active in Rhode Island politics. She previously served on the Cranston City Council from 2004 to 2008, ran unsuccessfully for mayor, and mounted a failed campaign for the Rhode Island House of Representatives last year.
She was later released on $1,000 personal recognizance and is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 5, according to local media.
Warning Graphic Language:
🚨 BOOM! Rhode Island police officer takes NO BS from former Democrat mayoral candidate Maria Bucci as she is arrested for drunk driving
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) December 24, 2025
"You know who I am?!"
"You guys are gross…I f-ing can't stand you!"
Democrats are entitled. Professional victim.pic.twitter.com/ruQCRGkbzo
Neither Bucci nor the Rhode Island Democratic Party immediately responded to media requests for comment.
The footage has since circulated widely online, prompting renewed debate over political privilege, accountability, and what critics say is a double standard among Democratic officials who frequently criticize law enforcement while expecting leniency when facing legal trouble themselves.