Robert Bork, former Supreme Court nominee, dies at age 85

Robert H. Bork, a former Supreme Court nominee and conservative scholar, has died at the age of 85.

Bork was nominated to the Supreme Court in 1987 but was rejected after a contentious confirmation battle. Those hearings were televised over the summer of 1987 and the Senate ultimately voted 58-42 against his bid for the high court, the Los Angeles Times explained.

CNN reported he recently served as an adviser to Mitt Romney during his presidential campaign as the Republican nominee.

Bork served as solicitor general during the Nixon presidenc. His infamous firing of special prosecutor Archibald Cox, who was investigating the Watergate scandal in 1973, drew the ire of liberals for decades to come, CNN reported.

The Los Angeles Times reported Bork, a former Yale law professor and federal judge, had a history of heart problems.

According to CNN, his family confirmed he died Wednesday at home in Virginia.