Confirmed After Contentious 1991 Hearing, Clarence Thomas Seen Today as Highly Influential Supreme Court Justice

Last fall, Bret Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court despite accusations of sexual misconduct from his past.

It wasn't the first time a nominee had faced such charges. Clarence Thomas was also approved after a contentious hearing in 1991.

Since then, though, Thomas has made his mark on the high court. 

Today, Clarence Thomas is the longest-serving current justice on the Supreme Court and some analysts say he's become one of the most influential.

Since he took his place on the bench, Thomas has been a prolific writer. His judicial opinions have been widely discussed in law schools and among judges. 

Gordon Robertson talks with author Myron Magnet about his book, Clarence Thomas and the Lost Constitution, on Tuesday's 700 Club. 

Thomas has been a consistent originalist, believing in interpreting the Constitution just as its authors intended, as opposed to the idea that interpretations of the Constitution should change with the times.

As author Myron Magnet says in his new book, Clarence Thomas and the Lost Constitution, Thomas's opinions are a blueprint for future justices to return to the original meaning of the Constitution.