Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is reportedly considering retirement from the nation's high court after this year's presidential election.
The Washington Examiner, citing unnamed sources, reports Thomas has been mulling an exit "for a while and never planned to stay until he died."
Appointed by former President George H.W. Bush and approved by the Senate in 1991 after bitter confirmation hearings, the conservative's retirement, along with the vacancy left by the late Justice Antonin Scalia, would have a big impact on control of the high court.
The court is currently divided 4-4, the next president will certainly tip the balance with a replacement for Scalia. Republican Justice Anthony Kennedy, considered a swing vote on the high court, will be 80 next year, the Examiner notes.