Roger Stanton

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24 character
Roger Stanton
Gender	Male
Jobs held	Director of National Security Agency
Affiliation	National Security Agency Sherry Palmer Peter Kingsley (unofficially)
Family	NA
Spouse	NA
Current status	Detained
Portrayed by	Harris Yulin
Seasons	2

Fictional head of the National Security Agency from Day 2 of 24. Roger Stanton appears after Eric Rayburn, tasked with briefing and assisting President David Palmer on the nuclear threat to Los Angeles posed by Second Wave, is arrested for treason (see Day 2 of 24). Stanton at first seems to be uninvolved in the supposed conspiracy against the President as revealed by Sherry Palmer. He is not credited at all in the opening or ending credits. Except in 3 cases, recurring and guest stars have to share their credits on screen with one or two other actors, but Harris Yulin wanted to appear alone on them. Because this was not possible, he decided not to be credited at all.

It transpires, however, that Stanton is a key figure in this conspiracy and, having had prior knowledge of the nuclear threat, allowed the bomb into the country under the advisement of Peter Kingsley. Unaware of Kingsley's real agenda, Stanton intended for a paramilitary group known as Coral Snake to track the bomb and neutralise the threat at the last moment. His objectives, in his words, were to give the Palmer administration "balls" and toughen up the President's agenda. Stanton only reveals this to the President after he is tortured - something which is later used against President Palmer in the attempted take-over by Vice-President Jim Prescott.

Stanton's plan fails when the Coral Snake team captain, Jonathan Wallace, kills the other six members of the team under orders from Kingsley, allowing the Second Wave terrorists to come very close to fulfilling their plan.

During the interrogation, President Palmer tells Stanton that he would be executed if people die during the bomb blast. However the bomb was detonated safely by George Mason and lives were saved, but during the aftermath of the bomb's detonation Middle Eastern neighbourhoods were attacked in retaliation and many people died as a result including a young boy.

When CTU exposed Peter Kingsley, with help from Sherry Palmer she was able to get Kingsley to confirm that Stanton was involved with the plot and that Palmer was telling the truth in his testimony about Stanton's inolvement.

It is unclear what happens to Stanton afterward, but it is likely that he was either arrested and/or forced to resign his position.