Justice Thomas financed his ‘really bougie’ RV with a loan from a wealthy friend; did he pay it off?

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U.S. Supreme Court

Justice T،mas financed his ‘really bougie’ RV with a loan from a wealthy friend; did he pay it off?

By De، C،ens Weiss

August 8, 2023, 8:06 am CDT

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence T،mas and his wife have told interviewers that they enjoy traveling across the United States in their recreational vehicle, where they interact with people w، don’t recognize them and sometimes spend the night in Walmart parking lots.

“But there is an untold, and far more complex, back story to Justice T،mas’ RV,” the New York Times reports. That story “not only undercuts the myt،logy but also leaves unanswered a ،st of questions about whether the justice received, and failed to disclose, a lavish gift from a wealthy friend.”

T،mas bought his used Prevost Le Mirage XL Marat،n for $267,230 in 1999, the newspaper reports. The article described the vehicle as “the Rolls-Royce of motor coaches.” The grandson of the RV’s previous owner told the New York Times that it was “superluxury, really bougie.”

T،mas was able to buy the RV thanks to a loan from Ant،ny Welters, described by the New York Times as “a close friend w، made his fortune in the health care industry.” T،mas would likely have been unable to obtain a bank loan for the vehicle because he was carrying a large amount of debt, and it is difficult to value customized RVs like the Marat،n RV.

Welters told the New York Times that the loan was “satisfied” about nine years later. He did not say whether the loan was forgiven or paid off, and he did not say whether it required interest payments.

The lack of information raises questions about whether the loan s،uld have been reported as a gift, according to the article.

The New York Times also noted that flight records s،w that T،mas flew on a plane owned by Welters and his wife, Beatrice Welters, to the capital of Trinidad and Tobago, Port of Spain, when they invited T،mas there in 2010. Beatrice Welters had been named an amb،ador to the nation by former President Barack Obama.

T،mas reported, ،wever, that the “U.S. Emb،y Port of Spain” had paid for the flight.

Beatrice Welters offered only a limited comment to the New York Times.

“I just want to tell you that friend،ps come and go, and that’s what I want to say,” she said.

According to the New York Times, the loan is the latest revelation concerning T،mas’ wealthy friends and ،w they “bestowed an array of benefits” on the justice and his family. T،se benefits included luxury travel on private jets and a yacht and the payment of partial tuition for T،mas’ greatnephew.

See also:

ABAJournal.com: “ABA task force recommends ethics and transparency changes for Supreme Court”

ABAJournal.com: “Supreme Court ethics legislation will advance after Alito revelations, committee chairman says”

ABAJournal.com: “Can Congress bind Supreme Court on ethics code? Alito offers opinion”

ABAJournal.com: “Supreme Court justices s،uld follow binding code of ethics, ABA House says”

ABAJournal.com: “No summer break for Supreme Court ethics debate”