This Has Gone on Too Long

Mel and Betty continue to win awards - both personal and political - by bragging about Straight, Inc. and attempting to silence those who were abused there...

2000:

Betty Sembler served on Florida Governor Jeb Bush's task force.

The Semblers donated over $12,000 to the Republican party.

2001:

Mel Sembler told the U.S. Senate about his involvement with Straight, Inc. - and was rewarded with the Ambassadorship to Italy.

"Mr. Chairman, members of the Committee, I believe that I have the qualifications necessary, if confirmed, to lead our diplomatic mission in Italy, to modernize it, and to strengthen it as an instrument to promote American interests in Italy. During my career in business, public service, politics, and diplomacy, I have worked hard and accomplished much. . . For the last quarter century, along with my wife, I have fought vigorously against the plague of drug abuse. In 1976 Betty and I helped found STRAIGHT, a non-profit, adolescent drug treatment and rehabilitation program with branches across the U.S., which successfully treated and graduated more than 12,000 young people nationwide. For 17 years, I served as chairman of the board of STRAIGHT. Other than our children, nothing was more rewarding than this effort. Betty and I initially agreed that if we helped one child it would be worth all the effort. With 12,000 successful graduates . . . It was a gratifying accomplishment."

Ambassador Melvin Floyd Sembler, AO addressing the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Oct 31, 2001, on the occasion of his hearing as George W. Bush's nominee to be ambassador to Italy.

During a day of protests by Straight survivors, the Semblers and Miller Newton hired security guards from the same company.

The Semblers donated over $8,500 to the Republican party.

2002:

The Multijurisdictional Task Force held a class on investigatative techniques and elements of prosecuting the criminal enterprise as a whole in order to enforce the RICO Act. Betty Sembler is on this board, along with Florida drug czar Jim McDonough. Coincidentially, racketeering was one of the accusations made against Straight.

The Semblers donated over $20,000 to the Republican party.

2003:

January 15: Mel Sembler spoke at his alma mater, Northwestern University. According to sources at Northwestern, Sembler requested that attendance be by "invitation only" and specifically requested that only older alumni be invited. I've also been informed that Sembler made it clear that he didn't want anyone to ask any questions about Straight. Sources at Northwestern also said it was very clear in Mel's speech that "he knew nothing about Italy." Click here to see for yourself.

August 13: thestraights.com announced plans to initiate a class action lawsuit against the state of Florida on behalf of survivors of Straight.

August 27: Straight, Inc. survivor Richard Bradbury is served with documents stating that he is being sued by none other than Mel & Betty Sembler.

The Sembler's also obtained a gag order, preventing Mr. Bradbury from talking about the case.

October: Uhuru, an activist group seeking social justice for African-Americans, began protesting BayWalk - a shopping mall in St. Petersburg, FL that is owned and operated by Sembler Company. Uhuru accused Sembler of racism after a disproportionate number of African-American teenagers were banned from the complex.

Oddly enough, very few African-American teens were admitted to Straight, Inc.

2004:

January 17: 20 former "clients" of Straight, Inc. and concerned citizens gathered to protest at the Florida Holocaust Museum Award's Banquet. Walter Loebenberg, founder of the museum, is a former President of the Straight Foundation (formerly known as Straight, Inc.) and Mel and Betty are on the museum's Board of Directors. According to protesters, as Mel and Betty passed by, Betty told them to "Get a Job." The Sembler's grandson reportedly "flipped-off" the protesters. Several reported seeing Betty tossing back a few drinks at the bar.

Although the St. Pete Times reported on the abuses at Straight for many years, the protest was not mentioned by ANY media outlets in the St. Pete area.

February 14: Former Straight "clients" and members of Uhuru teamed up for a protest at Mel Sembler's home.

April 3: There was another demonstration at the Florida Holocaust Museum to protest the involvement of several former Straight officials, including Mel and Betty Sembler.

April 21: Mel and his penis pump made the Washington Post. It seems he threw the pump away and now wants it back. Mel's Wandering Pump

2005:

January 19: Once again, Sembler claims to be leaving his post as Ambassador to Italy. Maybe he'll actually quit this time. Sembler Says He's Quitting, Again

This site is dedicated to anyone who was hurt in any way by Straight, Inc. and it's spinoffs. I'm very grateful to www.thestraights.com for providing much of the information on this site!