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Ambassador to Italy appointed by George W. Bush. Former Ambassador to Australia and Nauru appointed by George H.W. Bush. Former Financial Chair for the Republican National Committee. Large contributor to Republican campaigns and personal friend of Bush and Cheney families. [See: "[http://thestraights.com/people/straight-officials/board/sembler/sembler-family-contributions.htm Sembler buys ambassadorships]" ] CEO of Sembler Co., one of America's largest shopping mall chains. Co-founder of [[Drug Free America Foundation]], formerly Straight, Inc. His wife is [[Betty Sembler]], now head of the [[Drug Free America Foundation]]. ==SEED and Straight Inc== In the late 70's a drastic step was taken by the government to curtail drug abuse through synanon-based drug rehabilitation centers. Grant money was given in order to establish a number of rehabilitation camps, most of which used the moniker of "Project SEED" or "The SEED". The basis of these programs was a military bootcamp atmosphere, often using food and sleep deprivation, as well as constant yelling and insults, to encourage abstinence from drugs. In a number of instances, the deprivation bordered on near fatal, and the verbal abuse translated into physical abuse, or even rape. After a series of investigations, and numerous complains, the SEED program's funding was cut and the rehabilitation centers set to close when their funds ran out. A number of individuals, including Mel Sembler, organized to bring the SEED program into the private arena, named Straight Inc. For 17 years Mel Sembler's Straight program was the biggest chain of juvenile drug rehabilitation programs in the worldAmerica. 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. The Sembler story is at "[http://www.thestraights.com theStraights dot com]".  ==External links== *Official US State Dept Biography, "[http://www.usembassy.it/mission/amb/amb-bio-en.htm Mel Sembler U.S. Ambassador to Italy]", accessed June 2004. *"[http://www.thestraights.com/melsembler/index.htm Unauthorized Biography of Ambassador Melvin Sembler ]" by Wesley Fager. *"[http://www.webdiva.org/fox/ FOX News on Sembler and Straight]". *"[http://www.thestraights.com/images/montage/headlines-montage1.htm Straight: a newspaper montage of child abuse]". *"[http://www.prospect.org/print/V12/6/szalavitz-m.html The American Prospect on Sembler and Straight]". *"[http://thestraights.com/essays/beyerstein_report_on_straight.htm Professor Beyerstein on Straight]". *"[http://www.rickross.com/groups/straightinc.html Rick Ross, cult expert, on Sembler and Straight]".