From The Chicago Sun-Times:

Stanley sells firm just in time

July 17, 2002

BY STEVE WARMBIR, TIM NOVAK, ROBERT C. HERGUTH AND SCOTT FORNEK STAFF REPORTERS

Embattled former state lawmaker Roger Stanley, a direct-mail whiz, sold his political-mailing business for about $100,000 just weeks before he was hit with a federal indictment and a judge barred him from selling his companies, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.

Stanley sold the political-mailing portion of his company because business dried up after his June 19 indictment, said his attorney, Michael Ettinger.

"He's not going to get political business with this pending," Ettinger said.

Stanley was aware that federal prosecutors were zeroing in on him when they referred to him as "Vendor A" in another indictment in April, one against former top Gov. Ryan aide Scott Fawell.

Stanley, recently the direct mailer of choice for many prominent Illinois Republicans, has agreed to stay out of the political-mailing business in the state for three years as part of a non-compete agreement with the man who bought his business, an associate named Jack Thompson.

Thompson, running his firm as Diversified Direct Inc., has already scored some political work from House Republican Leader Lee Daniels, who was once a loyal client of Stanley. Daniels dropped him after Stanley was indicted.

While Thompson is hoping to pick up some of Stanley's business, he's not interested in being linked to him.

"Being put in the same news story as Roger Stanley could be the kiss of death," Thompson said. "My name being as far separated from Roger Stanley is really what I want."

The federal indictment accused Stanley of paying at least $130,000 to a Metra board member to steer millions of dollars in contracts to Stanley's firms and related companies.

Thompson said he'd heard Stanley was interested in selling and figured he could get Stanley's business for "a fire-sale price."

The sale included computers and political mailing lists.

Thompson started Diversified Direct on May 15. He set up shop down the block on Industrial Drive in Bridgeview from Stanley's business, Unistat. Stanley is still doing commercial work under the Unistat name, with car dealers among his clients.

The business has six full-time employees, including at least three who worked for Stanley.

Thompson is following in Stanley's footsteps in advertising in the political ad book for Daniels, a fund-raising tool. The Unistat ad that long appeared in the Daniels ad book isn't there in the latest one. In its place, though, is an ad for Diversified.

Republicans said the sale was not a party-sanctioned move to keep Stanley's company afloat for use as a chief GOP direct-mail firm.

"What it sounds like to me is they are just preserving their business," said one Republican strategist.

Stanley does not appear to have done anything wrong by selling his political-mailing business before he was charged.

After his indictment, prosecutors asked that Stanley be barred from selling any of his businesses. They apparently were concerned Stanley might flee to Costa Rica, where he often traveled. Stanley has been accused by prosecutors of providing prostitutes to Fawell in Costa Rica.