St. Petersburg Republican Takes Charge Of 'Scooter' Libby's Legal Defense Fund<br>By WILLIAM MARCH
wmarch@tampatrib.com <br>Published: Nov 24, 2005<br><br><br> <br> <br>TAMPA - -- Mel Sembler of St. Petersburg, a Republican fundraiser and former ambassador, is chairman of the legal defense fund for I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, former chief of staff for Vice President Dick Cheney.<br><br>Libby faces federal charges in connection with the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame.<br><br>A longtime political supporter of Cheney, Sembler was recruited to join the effort by Barbara Comstock, a Washington lawyer and friend of Libby, Comstock said.<br><br>Sembler will head what Comstock called "a distinguished and bipartisan group of friends, colleagues and former government officials" who have formed the Libby Legal Defense Trust.<br><br>She said the group aims to raise millions of dollars, but there is no specific goal -- only "the amount he needs to defend his good name."<br><br>Sembler is a developer and longtime fundraiser for Republican candidates in Florida and nationwide.<br><br>He could not be reached for comment.<br><br>Sembler "holds Scooter in high esteem as many members of the committee have," Comstock said. "We're confident that Scooter will be exonerated. He has declared he's innocent."<br><br>She said the committee, which still is adding members, includes former Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick, former presidential candidate Steve Forbes, former Sens. Fred Thompson and Alan Simpson, and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Jack Kemp.<br><br>Comstock said the group is "bipartisan" because two members, former CIA Director Jim Woolsey and former Ambassador Dennis Ross, have held appointments in Democratic as well as Republican administrations... <!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://tampatrib.com/floridametronews/MGBO5Y2KEGE.html">tampatrib.com/floridametr...2KEGE.html</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br> <p></p><i></i>