Cult News

Whatever happened to that old feel good extended weekend seminar known as “est,” which developed a “cult following” that included celebrities like Valerie Harper and John Denver?

Well it got bigger and better, at least from a business perspective.

Est is now called “Landmark Education,” and according to a press release on Yahoo, the private for-profit company now has “60 major offices in 21 countries,” affecting “100 cities” with ” 750 professionally trained course leaders worldwide.”

The PR spin gushes about Landmark’s recent deal with Sprint “to improve its communications infrastructure.”

The company’s “flagship” program is called the Forum, which can be seen as mass marathon training.

Landmark has a rocky history that includes serious complaints about abuses, subsequent lawsuits and more than a little bad press.

Its founder Werner Erhard (a.k.a. Jack Rosenberg) also went through some rough times. His bad patch included allegations of incest, spousal abuse and income tax problems.

Erhard eventually sold the company and licensed its “technology.” The specific details of that sale were never disclosed

But never mind all is well now.

Landmark is clearly pulling in more money than ever.

And Erhard? He resolved his personal problems and ended up a rich man relaxing on the beaches of the Cayman Islands. He lives in Georgetown with his girlfriend Hanukkah.

Landmark still generates lawsuits, complaints and bad press, but they seem to settle such matters quietly and weather whatever controversy arises comfortably.

During August CultNews.com broke a story about IRS employees in Seattle taking controversial training seminars from Landmark Education and it seemed taxpayers were picking up the tab.

IRS never denied the allegations and refused to comment.

A “Freedom of Information Act” (FOIA) request was promptly submitted in August.

Specifically, that request was for information about an admitted investigation of the matter that was conducted by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).

According to a recent response just received from the Treasury Department dated November 6th there are “three documents,” which are “responsive” that include “two hundred pages.”

However, the Department of Treasury decided to withhold 198 pages.

The two pages they released contained the CultNews.com report run in August.

The reason Treasury Disclosure Officer Melissa D. Stuart gave for withholding information about the matter was that such a “disclosure of information…could reasonably be expected to constitute an unwarranted invasion of a third party or parties’ personal privacy.”

Right.

What is in those 198 pages? It appears that they are the work product of the investigation conducted by TIGTA, regarding the IRS employees and their involvement with Landmark Education.

Why is it “an unwarranted…invasion of…privacy” when taxpayers want to find out how the government spends money? Apparently, the IRS thinks such matters are “personal.”

Relationship Institute blamed for failed marriage

The Sterling Institute of Relationship charges $600 for a weekend seminar and says that it’s “an organization dedicated to improving the quality of people’s relationships.”

However, despite that statement and the cult following Sterling has developed, it doesn’t seem to work that well for many that become involved.

One Sterling spouse claims the group and its teachings made her husband a “Neanderthal sexist.” She ultimately concluded that its alumni are “brainwashed” and dependent upon Sterling follow-up support teams “like drugs.”

Founder Justin Sterling became a multi-millionaire through his relationship weekend retreats. Each seminar typically draws about 150-200 participants, which means Sterling pulls in about $100,000 for two days work. He reportedly grosses more than $2 million per year.

Sterling recently bought a former Masonic Temple in downtown Newburg, New York and has begun staging weekends there. His for-profit corporation headquarters is in Oakland, California.

The Sterling weekend seems to be little more than warmed-over Erhard Seminar Training (EST), now known as Landmark Education, which presents the Forum.

Sterling appears to have copied the basic format of the Forum and simply superimposed his own composite philosophy, which includes misogyny, sexism and a large dose of profanity.

His men’s weekends typically culminate in a strange nude male-bonding ritual.

Apparently Sterling does practice what he preaches; his own marriage ended in a bitter divorce.

In the 90s the IRS was after 70s celebrity guru Werner Erhard for unpaid taxes, but now it’s apparently giving him money. That is, by paying for the so-called seminar “technology,” which he licenses. Erhard, whose devoted following once included singer John Denver and sit-com star Valerie Harper, now seems to have a new fan, Uncle Sam.

According to sources in Seattle, Washington IRS employees are gulping down more than coffee these days. The latest brew consumed at IRS is Erhard’s seminar training, once called “EST” and now known as Landmark Education. But unlike some concoction from Starbucks, taxpayers have apparently picked up the tab for the Landmark Forum.

High-ranking staffers at the Taxpayer Advocate’s office in Seattle took Landmark’s multi-day large group awareness marathon called the “Forum,” and billed Uncle Sam. Then they began pushing the program to subordinates, claiming that the government would pay for the course. The Landmark Forum costs $375.00 per person. But individual courses go up to $3,000 a pop, according to Landmark’s website.

Werner Erhard, EST and Landmark Education have a history of lawsuits and bad press. Some past participants have compared Forum seminars to “brainwashing” and characterized Landmark as somewhat “cult-like.”

Complaints caused the Treasury Inspector General to look into this matter. But that investigation didn’t seem to dampen the enthusiasm at the Taxpayer Advocate’s office. Senior staffers kept touting the program and still claimed that the government would pay, according to sources in Seattle. Could Werner Erhard who was once on IRS’s wanted list, now benefit from its payment plan?

Government officials in Seattle and Washington D.C. directly involved and reached personally by phone refused to comment.

Art Schreiber, Landmark’s general counsel stated, “IRS contacted our Seattle Center to find out about our programs.” And David Peterson, Manager of that center said he is well acquainted with Seattle IRS Taxpayer Advocate Ms. Jean Beck. Mark Kamin, Landmark’s Director for Media Relations confirmed that Ms. Beck completed the Landmark Forum, but insists they did not receive a check or voucher from the IRS and that to his knowledge, a reimbursement did not happen.

Why did IRS contact Landmark about its programs? Perhaps the government agency is hoping to stimulate its subculture through an old guru’s philosophy. But should they do this at the taxpayer’s expense?