Dear John,

The IR Editorial Board offered Stephen Boulton an opportunity to submit a piece that we would publish in its entirety. And Mr. Boulton accepted that offer. The same invitation remains for any other IL GOP leader. It’s important that readers hear directly from party leadership on our platform.

By Stephen Boulton

I am grateful for the opportunity to inform people about both me and the Chicago Republican Party.  Neither is being accurately portrayed in social media, and I commend the new Publisher of Illinois Review for allowing me the chance to respond.

I have been a GOP activist in Chicago since in 2000.  I have held a number of posts in the Chicago and Cook County Republican Parties.  I put in untold hours in volunteer work during the period 2004-2012, such as around $250,000 worth of free legal work defending candidates and attacking corruption, including a successful appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court.  Unlike many others, I never asked for or took a penny in compensation, because I considered it an honor to be General Counsel of the Cook County Republican Party and later the Chicago Republican Party . . .