Suspension of Reality: A post from the blog, Certain Information

 The following take down of Jerrod Sessler, a Congressional candidate for Washington's 4th Congressional District, is taken from the blog, Certain Information. Photos were added.

 

Suspension of Reality

Sit back and enjoy the ride on the crazy train because this is going to be a doozy.

How does one approach the topic of Jerrod Sessler? Who is he? In short, he's a failed congressional candidate in the crowded 2022 primary. He could have faded into obscurity after being trounced and having spent a small fortune of his own money on the election to finish in 4th place. However, Jerrod is keeping himself busy. He's decided to run again for Congress in 2024. He has maintained an active social media presence. He's started a charity. He's involved himself with the Benton County Republican Party. 

Good stuff!

But let's look a little closer, shall we?

Jerrod's bio includes strong reliance on his "former-NASCAR driver" status and his "engineering degree." Both of those claims may be objectively true, but when I hear NASCAR I think of Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, not a defunct regional series. Hey, he's trying to appeal to the red-blooded Americans. Creating his own campaign-branded fire suit seems over the top, but hey, it's campaigning.

The engineering degree is quite simple. Jerrod claims to have "Manufacturing & Mechanical Engineering Degrees." Per Ballotpedia, his BA is from Kennedy Western University (Go Mighty Whatevers!). KWU is a defunct, non-accredited distance learning "university" that faced allegations of being a diploma mill and government scrutiny. It no longer exists. Does this mean Jerrod doesn't know the difference between hydraulics and pneumatics? I don't know. Would an engineering firm hire someone with a degree from a defunct, non-accredited, distance learning diploma mill? I don't know. We report. You decide.

As mentioned above, Jerrod launched his fledgling campaign with major cash infusions from his own coffers. He used those personal funds to send out misleading press releases claiming a lead in fundraising as a proxy for broad support from actual voters and donors. The same press release notes that his laughable campaign commercial has "garnered millions of views across platforms already." I find that unlikely, given that here we are nearly two years later and what would seem to be the main video content platform, YouTube, shows 16 thousand views on that particular video: If there are at least 1,984,000 views on another platform I will retract and apologize profusely.

Another early blunder was his search for campaign staff on Craigslist: The highlight here is this line:

"Sadly, due to our current woke-sheep culture, female candidates, although welcome, will need to demonstrate their commitment to the mission in writing and with references to protect the candidate from future false claims that could damage his reputation."

Oh, man. This prompted articles in the TCH and Yakima paper behind paywalls, but you can enjoy this write-up.

Of note, this incident could have been a violation of RCW 49.60.180 (Unfair Practices of Employers) which states it is an unfair business practice to “print, or circulate, or cause to be printed or circulated any statement, advertisement, or publication, or to use any form of application for employment, or to make any inquiry in connection with prospective employment, which expresses any limitation, specification, or discrimination as to age, sex…”. Mr. Sessler’s campaign subsequently deleted the ad and apologized.

Two years later and Sessler is back at it. I hope his bank account can take another hit because despite setting a goal of "breaking the all-time record of monthly recurring donations for a congressional candidate," Jerrod has raised a whopping $1,800 as of the March 31 filing. All this, while still reporting his own donations as campaign debt presumably to be repaid if he hits the fundraising lottery: Not sure this is the guy we want reigning in our national debt if his own campaign is out $500k.

Then, just last week, Jerrod Sessler was suspended from Twitter: Why might that have happened to such an upstanding citizen? Certainly, the vast-left wing staffers at Twitter must be responsible! Oh wait, this is Elon Musk's Twitter and even Jerrod has routinely praised Elon on Twitter. Yet, despite being a Christian and a family man, Jerrod seems to have broken an "abusive behavior" rule: Pity. I'm sure the world is missing out on top-notch political commentary from him: It's like Shakespeare losing his quill. Well, yet he who is without sin cast the first stone. It's not as if Sessler has any history of shenanigans...

Oh, except for when he allegedly made a threat to a county employee that he would get his gun and "deal with" him resulting in a stern rebuke from the three Republican county commissioners. He also got into a verbal altercation with Christopher Gergen, Loren Culp's campaign manager after a debate in Yakima that resulted in court proceedings. Can't say I fault Jerrod for that one though. The dude is suspect.

Everyone has bad days. What can we deduce from Sessler's other activities?

First, there is the confusing tale of where exactly is Jerrod from. (Note: all of the following information is public record, but some names and addresses are removed just to avoid accusations of doxing.) Jerrod claims to be a proud Prosserian. He built and moved into his Prosser home sometime around the 2018 purchase of the land and the 2022 construction [To date, no permanent building has been constructed; see photo below]. The timing is interesting as Sessler registered to vote at his future home even before he actually lived there all of which caused Kennewick City Councilman John Trumbo to challenge Sessler's voter status. While it was dismissed, Sessler ironically claims "election integrity" is one of his key issues. The property in question was purchased by RQ Bradley LLC in 2018 [Jerrod Sessler is the Governing Agent for RQ Bradley]. Approved building on the property occurred in 2022.

84009 West Old Inland Empire Highway, RQ Bradley LLC

So is Jerrod from Prosser or a carpet bagger from the westside who saw an opportunity to run for Congress? [Sessler was born in California in 1969 and move to Seattle in 1974] Records show he sold his Burien home in November of 2021: Quite the entrepreneur, Sessler has had nine different registered businesses where he is/was the governor including his congressional campaign LLC. Most were most recently registered to a Seattle or Burien address. Yet, even Hometask, his enduring Prosser business was registered at a Burien address as recently as 2021.

Lawsuits can be a part of life, especially in the business world. The courts are there to settle disagreements, so being sued is not in and of itself a sign of wrongdoing. Having said that, let's look at some cases.

In 2009, Jerrod was sued as part of his HomeTask business:

He had received a loan of up to $1.8 million of which $450,000 was actually dispersed:

No payments were received thus prompting the lawsuit:

Ultimately, the court ruled in favor of the Plaintiff and Sessler was on the hook for over $500,000 on the judgment:

In 2010, Sessler was also sued by Wells Fargo Bank:

This lawsuit was due to non-payment on a line of credit:

This matter was settled out of court and dismissed in August 2010.

Also in 2010, Sessler was sued by FIA Card Services, a credit card company, for approximately $40,000.  The case was closed and dismissed in October 2012.

Further, Jerrod has some deep thoughts on property taxes and the various regulations that drive them up. He sympathizes with "the turtles and the owls," but wants to "radically reduce property taxes." How radical of a reduction? Well, maybe all the way to zero given that he failed/declined to pay his own property taxes on the above mentioned property.

Meanwhile, back on the campaign trail...

As of the most recent reporting, Sessler appears to have trimmed back his massive spending spree that racked up his half-million-dollar campaign debt and only has one employee on the books thus far for the 2024 cycle. That individual is Illinois-based Christina Gerding:

All told, the Sessler campaign has paid Gerding $23,900 from November 2021 through March 2023. Who exactly is Christina Gerding?

Well, in 2021 she was charged with three counts pertaining to the January 6th debacle when she and her husband illegally entered the Capitol. (Unsure if, being a female, she provided a written commitment or references to protect the candidate from false allegations). This past January, both pled guilty and they await sentencing on May 16 (facing up to six months in prison and up to a $5,000 fine). We shall see if she maintains her volunteer coordinator duties for the Sessler campaign from the pokey.

Would any of this surprise or turn off Mr. Sessler? Unlikely. Famously, Jerrod was there in D.C. during the January 6th storming of the Capitol calling it just a "rally" and they were "set up." Sessler frequently blames the Capitol police and the FBI. Not, you know, the Proud Boys.

Jerrod Sessler, US Capital, January 6, 2021

 

This is an issue near and dear to Sessler's heart. In August of 2021 (months before Gerding was first paid by his campaign), he released a video from D.C. where he interviews a recently released detainee and exploits an interaction with the Capitol police for attention. Apparently, Sessler believes Gerding to be innocent and a victim of an Antifa/Deep State/Capitol police conspiracy and worthy of sympathy. Providing a remote job for an eastern Washington congressional campaign to an Illinois-based person charged with multiple federal crimes was the least he could do.

Whew. What else?

Well, there is that charity that Jerrod started, the Eastern Washington Help Line. The mission is to create a "community of freedom loving [sic] patriots who reach out to help each other rather than looking to big government for a handout with strings attached." A bit obscure of a mission but can't fault anyone for looking to strengthen community bonds and assist people without the use of the state. Nothing wrong with a new, fresh 501(c)4 out there. Nope, nothing wrong with that. Oh, but there is the minor issue that neither the Internal Revenue Service nor the Washington Secretary of State appears to have any record of an Eastern Washington Help Line.

Finally, Jerrod has apparently assumed a leadership role within the Benton County Republican Party as the chair of the PCO Training and Candidate Support Committee. I can't think of anyone else more qualified.

Indeed we do, Jerrod. Indeed we do.

Draconian Franchise Agreements, and Jerrod Sessler

Jerrod Sessler, Candidate R-WA4 (see end note)

As the late Richard Solomon, a renowned franchise lawyer once wrote, “Year in and year out, people who understand almost nothing about small business investment risk … sign long term draconian franchise agreements, putting everything they have or will have on the line in impossible propositions.” Unfortunately, many of the people who do this are veterans.

One of the candidates running for Congress in Washington’s 4th Congressional District, Jerrod Sessler, is the franchisor for Yellow Van Handyman, a kind of “odd job” home repair service. Like many Franchisors, Sessler targets veterans. He promotes himself as a “decorated Navy veteran” (he served 36 months and won an “Achievement Medal”), advertises on sites like “hirepatriots.com,” and offers a discount to qualifying vets.

Sessler is the CEO of HomeTask, Inc., Headquartered in Burien, WA. Sessler’s 2019 HomeTask Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) is written to cover both Yellow Van Handyman, and Lawn Army, a yard service franchise. HomeTask’s FDD states in bold type, “…no government agency has verified the information contained in this document.” That’s important, because by no means can you believe everything you read in an FDD.

Sessler’s FDD states that besides Yellow Van Handyman and Lawn Army, “HomeTask does not operate in any other lines of business.” However, Sessler worked at starting up more than a dozen franchises, ranging from poop scooping to tacos, including: Pet Butler, Haco Taco, Freggies, Todoblue, DD Licensing, Blue Crew, Plumbing Doctor, Data Doctor, Hot Feet Fitness, and Jakes Juice Bar. According to the Washington State Secretary of State Corporations website, these entities are either no longer active, or never started. Lawn Army has no active franchisees.

You wouldn’t know that from reading the 2014 article on PRWeb, which says that, “Lawn Army has grown from a simple vision to conducting operations in three territories with thousands of pounds of yard waste being cut, trimmed, and hauled away each month.” Or this piece in “MrFran,” which claims, “Lawn Army opened only a year ago and has recently signed its 100th customer.” These are advertisements written to read like news items. The FTC is warning industry about deceptive advertising. “Fake reviews and other forms of deceptive endorsements cheat consumers and undercut honest businesses,” according to FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.

Yellow Van Handyman is the lone active franchise in HomeTask’s arsenal. Yet, according to a 2013 article in PRWeb, the HomeTask parent company, “now oversees six franchise concepts and over 171 locations across the nation.” Yet Sessler’s 2018 FDD indicates that there are only 14 Yellow Van HandyMan franchises. It’s not clear from the Washington Labor & Industries website, how many of them have active licenses.

Some franchisors have been found to lowball startup costs as a way to entice prospective franchisees. For example, Sessler’s HomeTask FDD lists costs as:

$0 to $2,500 for a van
$0 to $1,000 for a computer, printer, and other office supplies
$500 to $1,000 for insurance
$400 for legal and accounting fees
$0 to $2,000 for supplies, utilities, vehicle maintenance, etc.

Whatever it ends up costing the franchisee to get up and running, they shouldn’t expect any help from HomeTask. Sessler’s FDD clearly states that, “The Franchisor does not finance any part of a prospective franchisee’s initial investment.”

The term of contract agreement for a Yellow Van HandyMan business is 10 years. A franchisee must pay costs and HomeTask fees throughout the term of that period. This includes the provision, as clearly stated in the FDD that, “You must pay us Back Office fees each week even if the franchise business has no revenue.”

A franchisee is forced to continue paying these fees even if the franchise agreement is terminated early. A franchise that borrows heavily to finance startup costs, can’t keep up with payments, and must terminate their contract with HomeTask early, can end up having made a “financially devastating decision”— a decision that will continue to haunt them long past bankruptcy.

According to the HomeTask FDD, franchisees and their immediate family members, “must sign nondisclosure and non-competition agreements acceptable to us [HomeTask].” This would include veterans. NDA’s tend to stifle complaints against misrepresentation.

Veterans are attractive prey for  unscrupulous “franchisors,” selling franchise opportunities that are, literally, too good to be true. Franchising involves significant risk, both business and personal. As a veteran myself, I caution any vet; do your due diligence, and get legal help before signing that franchise agreement.

___________________________________

End Note

Jerrod Sessler attended the January 6th insurrection. Originally, he denied being "at the insurrection," claiming he only watched it from his hotel room. The photo of Sessler and recent tweet by Sessler contradicts this, however.

6:21 PM · Jun 12, 2022·Twitter Web App

Who will represent the 4th Congressional District in 2023?

Dan Newhouse currently represents Washington's 4th Congressional District. He is running for re-election in 2022. There are, at last count 5 Republican, and one Democratic candidate, who have filed to run against him. 

The 2022 Election will be upon us before the U.S. Supreme Court has a chance to rule that the recently imposed voter suppression measures enacted by 27 state Republican legislatures, are just fine and dandy.

Fortunately, those measures will not be applicable in Washington State, because our legislature is not afraid to let its citizens vote, i.e., it's not ruled by Republicans. Well, not as a whole, but certainly Eastern Washington is by and large a Republican stronghold.

The 4th Congressional District runs up and down the center of Eastern Washington from Kennewick at the Oregon border to Oroville at the Canadian border. It encompasses the counties of Douglas, Okanogan, Grant, Yakima, Franklin, Benton, and Adams, and part of Walla Walla County (CD4 will lose its small part of Walla Walla, and part of Franklin, not including Pasco, and pick up Klickitat in the redistricting). The population is centered in Benton and Franklin counties in south eastern Washington. The largest urban areas are Yakima, and the Tri-Cities (Kennewick, Richland, and Pasco). The 4th CD is considered "predominantly rural," and is the most Republican district in the Pacific States. A Democrat hasn't been elected to this seat for over a quarter of a century.

What makes the 2022 Election more interesting than the previous 14 in which Republicans were elected by wide margins, is former President Donald Trump's "revenge rallies." Trump has targeted incumbent Republicans that considered seditious insurrection unacceptable, and voted to impeach him. Rep. Dan Newhouse, in a fit of rare moral rectitude, joined with those "disloyal" legislators. 

Newhouse votes to impeach President Donald Trump

Bowing to their Commander-in-Cheat, whose anger knew no bounds (as did much of his behavior), the chairmen of six GOP Republican Committees (Adams, Benton, Douglas, Franklin, Grant, and Yakima) wrote Newhouse a letter (and shared it publicly) calling for him to resign. He declined, saying basically, I followed my conscience; I hope you'll forgive me.

Newhouse Declines to Resign

The Benton County Republican Party censured Dan (having narrowly defeated a vote to boot him from the Party entirely). In his place they endorsed state Representative Brad Klippert, of whom the Tri-Cities Herald (not known as a liberal clarion) has written disparagingly, including that he co-sponsored a "harebrained scheme" to divide Washington into two states, with the Eastern half named "Liberty." I wrote about Klippert's "Guns, God, and Country" (emphasis on guns) platform on a previous post.

There are four other Republican candidates running for Newhouse's seat in addition to Klippert: Loren Culp, Benancio Garcia III, Cory Gibson, and Jerrod Sessler. The lone Democrat running is Doug White.

Perhaps in order to punish Washington State, which went for Biden in the 2020 Election, Trump endorsed Loren Culp for Congress to replace Newhouse. This was very disappointing to Jerrod Sessler, who did everything but adopt Eric to get Daddy's endorsement. Let's take a look at the top Republican contenders; Culp, Klippert, and Sessler.

LOREN CULP

Culp was the police chief, and as it happens, the sole member of the "force" of Republic, a city of about 1,062, that lies about 30 miles from the border with Canada. Culp lost that job when Republic agreed to get its law enforcement services from the Ferry County Sheriff's office.

Loren Culp, Republic Police Chief

Culp gained a measure of fame throughout the state when he announced he would refuse to enforce laws stemming from the passage of Initiative 1639, which increased the age to purchase a semi-automatic rifle from 18 to 21, and expanded background check requirements. Culp said he would designate Republic a "2nd Amendment Sanctuary City." Culp's outspoken opposition to I-1639 was very popular with Washington's rural counties, especially those in the 4th CD, which voted overwhelmingly against the Initiative.

Culp translated his new-found fame into a run for governor, beating out a crowded Republican primary field in 2020 to challenge Governor Jay Inslee. Culp lost that bid by well over a half million votes and, channeling Donald Trump, promptly sued claiming fraud. His lawyer withdrew the suit “with prejudice,” meaning it cannot be refiled. Now Culp, who still lives in Republic, has filed to run against Newhouse. Federal laws do not require congressional candidates to live in the district they are running for; they only need to live in the same state.

Although Culp lost the 2020 governor's race to Inslee by a lot, he won 27 of the state's 39 counties, pulling in close to 1.75 million votes. In the 4th Congressional District, Culp beat Inslee handily, 62% to 38%; about the same margin as most races in the district go.

If Culp and Newhouse make it through the top-two primary, data suggest Culp would give Newhouse a run for his money (pun intended). Newhouse drew 200,033 votes in his 2020 Election victory for representative. Culp drew 196,371 in his race against Inslee in the same election. But if money buys elections (and it almost always, it does), then Newhouse should be a shoe-in. As FEC records show, Dan Newhouse has received more money than all other candidates combined, and has close to three time as much cash on hand (see Table 1).

In addition to Culp's money disadvantage, questions about his campaign spending dogged him after the election. Culp had the campaign, i.e., his contributors, pay him for lost wages, pay his wife as a consultant, and "field representative," pay him for mileage, and pay a high-priced political consultant, and an even higher-priced "digital consultant" that had no prior campaign history in the PDC database. Culp's campaign consultant continued to grift the campaign after the fact by engaging with contributors over the aforementioned  frivolous law suit against the Washington Secretary of State over allegations of fraud.

Table 1. FEC Totals as of: 03/08/2022

 

Loren Culp's issues trumpet most of the talking points the GOP has mucked out of the barn since Joe Biden's election:

• Election integrity (aka, the election was stolen)
• Critical Race Theory (aka, they're indoctrinating our kids)
• No "jab mandate" (aka, anti-vax, plus anti Medicare4All)
• Border security (aka, "build the wall")
• Fiscal responsibility (aka, reinstate the Trump tax cut)
• Energy independence (aka, "drill baby drill," plus withdraw from Paris Climate Accord)
• Constitutional Government (aka, "America First")

In addition, Culp weaves an anti-globalist message through his talking points, including a call to "level the playing field" by rolling back government subsidies for farmers. Culp claims this will free the farmers from government "bondage." Culp may have some explaining to do on this, since the record subsidies farmers received ($51.2 billion according to Reuters) up to the 2020 Election were what carried farmers through Trump's failed trade war with China.

BRAD KLIPPERT

Bradley Allen Klippert's letter announcing his intention to run for the 4th Congressional District's seat in the House of Representatives is a reflection of his personality and his intellect. Brad Klippert is a licensed Pentecostal minister and his announcement is full of patriotic one-liners, platitudes, and nationalistic evangelism worthy of a sermon on the mount. Saying that Klippert is conservative when it comes to sexual orientation and gender identity is like saying that Donald Trump struggled with the truth. But it's hard to argue with success. Klippert was elected to the Washington House of Representatives in 2008 and has been re-elected each year since. As an anti-tax, anti-government conservative, he is a reliable 'No' vote on most bills.

Brad Klippert, State Representative, LD8

Klippert's ultra-conservative playbook resonates well in what is an ultra-conservative district; his vote total only fell below 60% once (at 59%), and that was running against another Republican (Rick Jansons in 2016). But his pulpit may not translate well from the state level to the federal level. He is:

• Anti-Abortion
• Anti-Gay Rights
  
• Anti-Tax
• Anti-Minimun Wage Increase
• Anti-Mail-In Voting
  
• Anti-Increased Education Funding (supports government funding of charter schools)
  
• Anti-Climate Change Regulation
• Anti-Gun Control
• Anti-Affordable Care Act
• Anti-Equal Pay Amendment
• Anti-Dam Breaching
• Anti-Mask & Vaccination Mandates
• Anti-Critical Race Theory

Klippert Used Tax Payer Money to Attend Lindell's Evidence-Free Symposium

What may bite Klippert this time around is his charging tax payers for his expenses to attend a three-day “Cyber Symposium” in South Dakota, sponsored by "MyPillow" CEO, Mike Lindell, promising to provide “irrefutable” evidence the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump by hackers. According to the Tri-Citiy Herald, "The three-day, livestreamed event, rife with debunked conspiracy theories, produced no such proof and ended in embarrassing fashion when even some of Lindell’s own invited experts said hacking data he’d touted was nonsensical."

In addition, as I posted previously, the Tri-City Herald is no fan of Klippert, and is very unlikely to support him over Newhouse in the August 2nd Primary, or should they both get through the top-two, the General Election in November.

Of the six Republicans who've filed to run, only Ben Garcia has less money than Brad Klippert -- Garcia has no money. Brad, who filed way back in March of last year, has received $18,104, disbursed $14,509, has $3,595 on hand, and owes $12,225. It will be interesting to see what pops up on the FEC radar at the end of March this year, when quarterly reports are due.

 

JERROD SESSLER

Jerrod Sessler at the January 6, 2020, Insurrection

 

Jerrod Sessler filed to run in the 2022 Primary on March 17, 2021. He lived in Burien, WA, at the time, from where he ran his franchising company, HomeTask, Inc. Over the next five months he loaned his campaign $351,000. He boasted about being second only to Dan Newhouse in campaign money, but after it was publized that he'd put a substantial amount of his own money into his campaign," he admitted he'd done this, saying, "If I have to put my last penny in to help protect this great country that I have served and will continue to serve, I will not count it as too great a cost."

Sessler has crafted his platform to cover all the hot-button issues of the constituency he believes will elect him in November. He claims to be;

• fiercely anti-abortion
• for securing the Southern Border
  
• opposed to mask and vaccine mandates
• for unrestricted gun rights
• opposed to critical race theory
• in favor of supporting "J6 victims"
  

Sessler has been endorsed by:

• Lt Gen Michael Flynn (Ret.)
• Arizona State Senator Wendy Rogers, who is a member of the Oath Keepers
• Virginia State Sen Amanda Chase (censured for conduct unbecoming a senator) 
• Arizona State Representative Mark Finchem (who tried to reverse the AZ Presidential election result)
• State Trooper Robert LaMay (now deceased as a result of contracting COVID)

Jerrod Sessler is single-minded in his ceaseless self-promotion. He advertises himself as a former NASCAR driver, a "decorated Navy veteran," a successful businessman/entrepreneur, a miraculous cancer survivor, an America-First Patriot, and an "ultra-popular Republican challenger to impeachment-voting Rep. Dan Newhouse."

 

Sessler's campaign website says he was "forged by the sea." He enlisted in the Navy right out of high school and left it 36-months later, in 1989. He achieved the grade of Petty Officer 3rd Class (a grade just above Seaman), and earned an 'Achievement Medal’ (having achieved an honorable discharge).

 

Sessler claims on the HomeTask website that HomeTask, "grew to over 150 locations and five brands nationwide." This is untrue, as the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) shows.*

 

Sessler gets his own section (p.68-71) in “Hallelujah Diet,” a book by Rev. Dr. George Malkmus, describing how he adopted the biblically-based raw fruits and vegetables diet and “beat his [stage IV] cancer.” 

Sessler started HomeTask Handyman Service, Inc. (602 343 174)** after first running a construction company, Siblings, incorporated on 2000-4-27 (601 872 987), which was dissolved 2004-08-02, reinstated with Nicole Sessler in charge (602 033 222), and ultimately dissolved 2008-08-01. Sessler "sponsored" his NASCAR driving adventure with earnings from his Siblings business venture.

HomeTask Handyman Service, Inc. was incorporated 2003-11-05, and was dissolved 2010-03-01. Jerrod Sessler started his franchise business HomeTask, Inc. (603 177 270), 2012-02-01.

On the opengovwa.com website, Sessler is listed as the registered agent for: Todoblue LLC, DD Licensing LLC, and Freggies LLC. All of these franchise brands have been dissolved. Sessler has also promoted; Pet Butler LLC (603 040 904), dissolved 2012-09-26, Lawn Army (zero franchises), Plumbing Doctor, and Data Doctors, neither of which seems to exist.

A post on Sessler promoting his “pet business,” says he was "named SBA Veteran Champion of the Year in 2010 for his work in offering significant discounts to veterans so that they can start their own business.” This isn’t true. The SBA website lists a Lloyd Calderon as National Veteran Champion. Sessler isn’t listed in 2009 or 2011 for this award. The claim is repeated on Sessler’s HomeTask website.

“Lawn Army” has been routed -- there are no, nada, zero Lawn Army franchises (see FDD Item 20, p.28). The failure of the Lawn Army brand didn't stop Sessler from "celebrating" its launch in PRWeb, "Lawn Army has grown from a simple vision to conducting operations in three territories with thousands of pounds of yard waste being cut, trimmed, and hauled away each month."

And despite the various promotions that say, "The company [HomeTask] grew to over 150 locations and five brands nationwide,” the FDD refers only to Yellow Van Handyman, and Lawn Army. Labor & Industries shows 15 Yellow Van Handyman franchisees, of which 9 are shown as having their license expired, including Sessler's.

Sessler is also selling a bearing seal and bearings repair kit for front load washing machines. It goes for $79.99 on line. He claims to have sold 5000 of them. There's no way to verify this, unless one gets Sessler to release his tax returns (fat chance). The on-line order form is hinky. Whatever one enters in the part no. window works, even if it isn't a part no. Sessler even recorded a YouTube DIY for the repair in which clumsy edits make getting the drum off a snap. If you want to void your manufacturer's warranty, there are easier ways, e.g., wash your panini machine in it. 

At last check on the FEC website (3/20/2022), Sessler had receipts of $434,774, disbursements of $232,855, and cash on hand of $201,919, less than a quarter of Newhouse's total.

_____________________________________________

* I got HomeTask’s Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) through a Public Records Request with Washington State’s department of Financial Institutions (DFI). Not every state requires the franchisors file their FDD with the state, making it difficult to regulate the franchise business.

**Number in parenthesis are uniform business identifier (UBI)