Per the New York Times today:
In 1999 Thomas bought a used RV to travel around this great land of ours. But get this:
His Prevost Marathon cost $267,230, according to title history records obtained by The New York Times. And Justice Thomas, who in the ensuing years would tell friends how he had scrimped and saved to afford the motor coach, did not buy it on his own. In fact, the purchase was underwritten, at least in part, by Anthony Welters, a close friend who made his fortune in the health care industry.
According to the SeattleTimes, Welters
...provided Thomas with financing that experts said a bank would have been unlikely to extend — not only because Thomas was already carrying a lot of debt, but because the Marathon brand’s high level of customization makes its used motor coaches difficult to value.
Salient Facts
— Thomas’ salary in 1999 was $167,900.
— Roughly nine years later, “the loan was satisfied,” according to close friend Welters.
— Welters would not say how much he had lent Justice Thomas, how much the justice had repaid and whether any of the debt had been forgiven or otherwise discharged.
— Welters has declined to provide The Times with a copy of a loan agreement, or even say if one existed. Nor would he share the basic terms of the loan, such as what, if any, interest rate had been charged or whether Justice Thomas had adhered to an agreed-upon repayment schedule.
Thomas’s passion!
And here’s a picture of what a 1999 Prevost Marathon looks like:
Here’s a full quote Welters wrote to the times:
“Here is what I can share. Twenty-five years ago, I loaned a friend money, as I have other friends and family. We’ve all been on one side or the other of that equation. He used it to buy a recreational vehicle, which is a passion of his.” Roughly nine years later, “the loan was satisfied,” Welters added. He subsequently sent the Times a photograph of the original title bearing his signature and a handwritten “lien release” date of Nov. 22, 2008.
Apparently Supreme Court justices don't have to disclose vehicle loans.
There's nothing technically illegal about this if the loan was made at market rates and was fully paid back. But so far, neither Welters nor Thomas is willing to prove that.
I guess we’ll just have to take their word for it.
