Mel Sembler

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Melvin Floyd Sembler (1930 - ) is the former United States Ambassador to Italy (2001 - 2005), and former ambassador to Australia and Nauru (1989-1993). He has also served as Chairman of the Board of the Sembler Company, which develops and manages shopping centers, and co-founder of Straight, Inc., a controversial drug-treatment center. Sembler has been personally accused of being responsible for the claims of serious physical and psychological abuse that went on in his centers. Currently, Sembler serves as chairman of the Scooter Libby Legal Defense Trust.^[1]

1 Personal history
2 Political fund raising career
3 Financial career
4 Diplomatic career
5 Allegations of abuse at Straight, Inc.
6 External links
7 References

[edit] Personal history

Born in 1930 in St. Joseph, Missouri, Sembler is a 1952 graduate of Northwestern University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. He and his wife Betty have three sons, Steve, Brent, and Greg, and are the grandparents of eleven grandchildren.

[edit] Political fund raising career

Sembler has been a Republican fundraiser since 1979, raising a record $21.3 million at a single dinner in April 2000 ^[2]. During the 1988 Presidential campaign, Sembler served on the National Steering Committee and the National Finance Committee for the George H.W. Bush for President campaign. Additionally, he was Finance Co-Chairman for the state of Florida for the George Bush for President campaign, and played an instrumental part in raising funds for the Fund for America's Future. He served on President Reagan's White House Conference for a Drug-Free America and was an advisor on drug policy to President Bush and to Florida's former Governor Bob Martinez. He served as Co-chairman of the Republican National Committee's Team 100 and Finance Co-Chairman of the American Bicentennial Presidential Inaugural, and from 1993 to 1995 he was Finance Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida.

Sembler served as Finance Chairman for the Republican National Committee from 1997 to 2000. He also served as Florida's National Committeeman to the Republican National Committee from his election in 1994 until 2000. Prior to his appointment as Ambassador to Italy, Sembler was the Honorary Chairman of the Republican Jewish Coalition and Chairman of the Drug Free America Foundation, and served on the boards of the Florida Governor's Mansion Foundation and the Florida Holocaust Museum. He is a resident member of the Florida Council of 100, a business advisory council to the Governor of Florida, and has been an active supporter of many other political, religious, and community activities. Sembler presently serves on the boards of the International Council of Shopping Centers, American Enterprise Institute, American-Australian Education Leadership Foundation, George Bush Presidential Library Foundation, Republican Jewish Coalition, and the Moffitt Cancer Center.

[edit] Financial career

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Sembler has served on the Board of Directors of several banks, including the First Bank of Treasure Island, the National Bank, First Union Bank, and presently serves on the Board of Directors of American Momentum Bank. Collectively, he has served on the boards of those banks in excess of 14 years. He founded the Sembler Company, a shopping center development and management firm, and served as the spokesman for the shopping career industry as the 1986-1987 President of the International Council of Shopping Center, where he served for 25 years.

[edit] Diplomatic career

In February 1989, President George H.W. Bush appointed Sembler United States Ambassador to Australia and Nauru, where he served for three and a half years. During his tenure as Ambassador, taking a particular interest in encouraging the export to Australia of U.S. goods and services. At the recommendation of the Governor-General of Australia and with the approval of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, Sembler was named an Honorary Officer in the Order of Australia at an investiture ceremony in October 2000, recognising achievement or meritorious service to Australia or humanity at large. Also in 2000, Governor Jeb Bush named "Betty Sembler" day in honor of Mel Sembler's wife for her work in fighting drugs.

Sembler was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Italy by President George W. Bush, being sworn in on 16 November 2001. In February 2005 Sembler had an annex to the US Embassy in Rome named after him (the Mel Sembler Building), an honour never before bestowed on a sitting diplomat, and made possible due to an amendment by Congressman Bill Young to an appropriations bill.^[3] In 2005, as allegations of the abuses at STRAIGHT, Inc. were aired on television and radio, Sembler is said to have resigned. In reality, his term as ambassador had ended in 2004 and Sembler agreed to remain posted in Rome until his successor had been confirmed.

[edit] Allegations of abuse at Straight, Inc.

In 1976 Sembler and his wife founded Straight, Inc., an adolescent drug treatment program which has treated more than 12,000 addicts. The program is said to have resembled The Seed, an earlier program suspended by the U.S. Senate for its treatment of patients.

Straight Inc. also became embattled in allegations of abuse, ranging from sleep deprivation, starvation, over exercise, beatings, denial of basic health needs, sexual assault, deprivation of liberty and speech and psychological torture.^[4]^[5]. One publicised case was that of Samantha Monroe, who claimed she endured beatings, rape, forced hunger and was locked in a janitor's closet in pants containing her excrement. She claims her mother was told her daughter was a liar.^[2]

After these claims, the United States Senate revoked the license of STRAIGHT, Inc. in 1993, citing that the government should not be financing "cruel and inhuman behavior modification." It has been suggested prior funding was provided under pressure from Sembler and state senators ^[6] Sembler's Drug Free America Foundation continues to campaign for hard-line drug policy. Former Governor Jeb Bush of Florida, the brother of President George W. Bush, Former DEA Administrator Karen Tandy, and Congressman Dan Lungren of California are on the advisory board.^[7]