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==Roman Construction Scandal==:"Among these, reportedly, is Mel Sembler, the U.S. ambassador to Rome, who has made it plain he would like not to be recalled for at least another two years. But the sources understand the shopping mall developer and Bush supporter has been told a partial extension is not in the cards."
In 2005 Mel Sembler was involved in a ==Roman construction scandal involving the government purchase of an 83.5 million dollar palace once owned by an Italian insurance company, and naming it after himself, with an addtional 30 million dollars in refurbishment.[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5165-2005Mar3.html] To this day no other sitting ambassador has had a building, either in America or abroad, named after him.==
==Political Contributions==*In March 2005, Mel Sembler was involved in a scandal involving the government purchase of an 83.5 million dollar palace once owned by an Italian insurance company, and naming it after himself, with an addtional 30 million dollars in refurbishment.<ref>Al Kamen, [http://thestraightswww.washingtonpost.com/people/straightwp-officialsdyn/boardarticles/semblerA5165-2005Mar3.html "Narcissus Is Now Greek AND Roman,"] ''Washington Post'', March 3, 2005.</sembler-family-contributionsref> To this day no other sitting ambassador has had a building, either in America or abroad, named after him.htm
SW: update, add
'''Melvin Sembler''' was served as the Ambassador to Italy 2001 to 2005, appointed by President [[George W. Bush]] in 2001.<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Sembler Mel Sembler] in the ''Wikipedia''.</ref>
In August 2007, Sembler was among prominent [[conservative]]a funding [[Freedom's Watch]], a new White House [[front group]]<ref>[http://www.lasvegasgleaner.com/las_vegas_gleaner/2007/08/adelson-runs-at.html "Adelson runs attack ads against Porter,"] ''Las Vegas Gleaner'', August 22, 2007.</ref> which began "a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign to urge members of [[Congress]] who may be wavering in their support for the [[war in Iraq]] not to 'cut and run'."<ref name>[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/22/washington/22war-web.html?_r=1&ref=us&oref=slogin "Group to Urge War Support,"] ''New York Times'', August 22, 2007.</ref> ==Profiles==Sembler had previously served as Ambassador to Australia and Nauru by [[George H.W. Bush]] in 1989. [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/7043.htm] "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 after his election in 1994 until 2000." <ref>[http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/7043.htmBiography: Melvin Sembler, Ambassador, Italy Term of Appointment: 11/16/2001 to present,] [[U.S. Department of State]] , January 8, 2002.</ref>
Sembler is CEO of [[Sembler Co.]], one of America's largest shopping mall chains, co-founder of [[Drug Free America Foundation]] (formerly Straight, Inc.). His wife, [[Betty Sembler]], currently heads the Foundation.
For 17 years Mel Sembler's Straight program was the biggest chain of juvenile drug rehabilitation programs in America. But former clients have come forward to say they were severely abused by Straight's "[[brainwashing]] methods." There have been over 40 suicides associated with Straight and its imitators. The anti-Straight crowd continues to protest Mel Sembler. His business interests are protested by the Uhurus for allegations of racial descrimination and by anti-[[Iraq war]] activists. [http://www.thestraights.com].
==Possible Removalremoval== It is possible that Mel Sembler may be removed from his ambassadorship. According to , the World Peace Herald:*"Among these, reportedly, is Mel SemblerUPI reported December 13, the U2004.S. ambassador to Rome<ref>Roland Flamini, who has made it plain he would like not to be recalled for at least another two years[http://web. But the sources understand the shopping mall developer and Bush supporter has been told a partial extension is not in the cardsarchive." [org/web/20051105072240/http://www.wpherald.com/North_America/storyview.php?StoryID=20041213-060311-4177r"Analysis: New Bush term will have revamped diplomatic team,"]UPI (''World Peace Herald''), December 13, 2004.</ref>
==External linksResources and articles=====Related SourceWatch articles===*[[Freedom's Watch]]
===Biographical NoteReferences===*U.S. Department of State, "[http:<references//www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/7043.htm Biography: Melvin Sembler, Ambassador, Italy Term of Appointment: 11/16/2001 to present]", January 8, 2002.>
===General ArticlesExternal articles===*Wesley FagerMaia Szalavitz, "[http://www.thestraightsprospect.comorg/print/V12/melsembler6/indexszalavitz-m.htm Unauthorized Biography of Ambassador Melvin Semblerhtml "Why Jesus is Not a Regulator,"]"''The American Prospect'', April 9, 20032001.*Radley Balko, "[http://www.webdiva.org/fox/ "Drug War Casualties,"]", FOX [[Fox News]], May 23, 2002.*Maia SzalavitzWesley Fager, "[http://www.prospectthestraights.com/melsembler/index.htm "Unauthorized Biography of Ambassador Melvin Sembler"] and [http://thestraights.orgcom/people/printstraight-officials/V12board/6sembler/szalavitzsembler-family-mcontributions.html Why Jesus is Not a Regulator]htm "Sembler Family Contributions, "] ''The American ProspectTheStraights.com'', April 9, 20012003.
*John Gorenfeld, [http://media.orkut.com/articles/0145.html "His Own Private Abu Ghraib,"] ''orkut'', March 23, 2005.
*Al KamenMike Allen, "[http://www.washingtonpostpolitico.com/wp-dynnews/stories/articles0807/A5165-2005Mar35479.html Narcissus Is Now Greek AND Roman]"Pro-Bush group spends $15M defending war, "] ''Washington Post[[The Politico]]''([http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1884793/posts posted] by [[Free Republic]]), March 3August 22, 20052007. ===External resources===*[http://www.melsembler.com/ MelSembler.com.] [[Category:United States]][[category:politics (U.S.)]][[category:elections (U.S.)]]
