Utah’s outgoing Sen. Orrin Hatch left a huge imprint on the nation’s high court.
Among other things, he:
• Participated in the confirmation of 15 Supreme Court justices, including all nine currently on the bench.
• Helped found the Federalist Society of conservative attorneys and pushed to confirm more conservative judges to district and appellate courts.
• Took credit for suggesting President Bill Clinton nominate to the high court Ruth Bader Ginsburg, now considered the most liberal jurist on the Supreme Court.
• Joined Senate GOP colleagues in withholding confirmation hearings for President Barack Obama’s final pick for the Supreme Court, Merrick Garland, for nearly a year.
• Staunchly defended now-Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas against sexual harassment allegations by a former aide, Anita Hill, and did the same for Brett Kavanaugh over sexual assault claims by two women.