From The Chicago Tribune:

GOP insider agrees to talk
October 30, 2002

BY TIM NOVAK AND STEVE WARMBIR STAFF REPORTERS

In a stunning development, former Republican lawmaker and party insider Roger Stanley, facing bribery charges, has started talking with federal investigators in their ongoing probe of corruption under Gov. Ryan, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned. Stanley could be a key informant for federal authorities and provide further damaging information against Scott Fawell, the former George Ryan campaign manager who is to go on trial in November on corruption charges, sources said.

Stanley, 59, of Burr Ridge, has been dubbed "The Hog" for his alleged hunger for juicy state contracts.

"Whoever did business with him might be a little nervous," said one longtime political observer. "The repercussions are going to be felt far and wide."

Stanley often has loomed as an important figure on the political landscape.

He was a direct marketing whiz, sending out mass political mailings for prominent state and local Republicans and Democrats.

On the personal side, he has acted as a good-time Charlie who regularly ran trips for his pals and politicos for fun in the sun in Costa Rica, at times at his own expense, the feds allege.

"He's been around politics and gotten contracts for a major part of his career," said one close observer of the federal investigators' probe. "It's a big development. This is a big break for them."

A U.S. attorney's spokesman had no comment on the matter, and as a matter of policy, the office does not discuss whether people are talking to investigators.

Over the years, Stanley parlayed a brief stint as a lawmaker in the state House from 1977 to 1982 into a very successful direct mail business and other perks, authorities allege. During Stanley's last term, George Ryan was speaker of the House.

Helping get Stanley some of those perks was Fawell, the feds allege.

Stanley has been given more than four dozen no-bid contracts from the state, including some from the secretary of state's office under Ryan.

Fawell, for instance, steered contracts to Stanley in August 1994 to promote the secretary of state's organ donor program, while Stanley agreed to raise funds and help Ryan during his re-election.

The feds also allege Stanley got a six-week job in 1997 in the secretary of state's office--where he did little or no work--to boost his legislative pension.

That temporary job, arranged by Fawell, more than doubled Stanley's pension from his brief stint in the statehouse, authorities said. Stanley's pension tops $55,000 a year.

Stanley was criminally charged in June with bribing a Metra board member, Donald Udstuen, to get agency contracts for firms linked to Stanley.

In August, the feds hit him again, slapping Stanley with an obstruction of justice charge for allegedly creating a fake piece of evidence.

He has also been accused of providing free prostitution services for Fawell on the Costa Rican trips.

For another Republican effort, Stanley allegedly allowed one of his companies to be used to effectively hide payments to state employees whom Fawell and others assigned to work on the 1996 campaign of House Speaker Lee Daniels to retain his Republican majority.

Daniels is under investigation for using state workers to do political work on the public's dime.

Daniels has denied any wrongdoing, as has the governor.

It's unclear how long Stanley has been talking with the feds or what prompted his change of heart, but it seems to be a recent decision.

Stanley has faced growing pressure in his life as the feds repeatedly tried to throw him in jail until trial. Stanley also has suffered marital and health problems.

Stanley's attorney, Michael Ettinger, said Tuesday that "our trial with Judge [Charles] Kocoras is still set in February," and would not expand on the statement.

The emergence of Stanley as an important new player in the investigation came to light earlier this week.

On Monday, Fawell's defense attorney, Edward Genson, asked a federal judge for more time to prepare for trial because Genson had learned only last week that "a major player submitted to interviewing by government agents."

"Indeed, the government claims that it has not even decided if it will call this person as a witness at trial," Genson wrote. The attorney had no comment on his motion Tuesday.

Stanley would seem to make a less than stellar witness for prosecutors if called to take the stand.

Stanley, for instance, has lied to feds about the assets he has in Costa Rica, authorities have said.

He also, for a time, neglected to mention a second family he had in Costa Rica, in addition to the one he has here.