A top-ranking House Republican, Virginia Rep. Bob Goodlatte, is getting a lot of heat for his conduct as the chair of the House Judiciary Committee in the lead-up to FBI agent Peter Strzok’s firing — including from his own son. 
 
 Goodlatte’s son Bobby Goodlatte, a venture capitalist based in San Francisco, blasted his father for his role in ruining Strzok’s career on Twitter Monday, one day after announcing his support for the Democrat running in Goodlatte’s congressional district. 
 
 “I’m deeply embarrassed that Peter Strzok’s career was ruined by my father’s political grandstanding. That committee hearing was a low point for Congress,” Bobby Goodlatte tweeted. “Thank you for your service sir. You are a patriot.” 
 
 Bob Goodlatte has been in the House since 1993 — the majority of his son Bobby’s life. He will retire from Congress at the end of 2018, which also marks his term limit as chair of the House Judiciary Committee. 
 
 On Sunday, Bobby Goodlatte said he had donated to Democratic candidate Jennifer Lewis, a mental health worker who is running to fill his father’s seat in Virginia’s Sixth Congressional District, urging others to do the same. 
 
 “This is how we show that we’re tired of the lack of decorum in Congress,” the younger Goodlatte tweeted. Bobby Goodlatte, a former Facebook employee, was a Hillary Clinton supporter in 2016, according to his Facebook, and has said he and his father are from “the exact opposite sides of the political spectrum,” in an interview with TechCrunch. In 2015, he started a project called OpenVote, a platform that let people pledge their votes and share arguments for their views. 
 
 I just gave the maximum allowed donation to Jennifer Lewis, a democrat running for my father's congressional seat. I've also gotten 5 other folks to commit to donate the max. 2018 is the year to flip districts — let's do this! https://t.co/bYCKta2Bhs — Bobby Goodlatte (@rsg) August 13, 2018 
 
 Lewis is running against Republican state lawmaker Ben Cline, a former Goodlatte aide. Cline has out-fundraised Lewis in a solidly Republican district that went for Donald Trump by double digits in 2016. 
 
 Goodlatte has been conservative leader in the House, especially in the last year and a half under Trump. He’s known for pushing the president’s hardline immigration agenda and leading the House’s investigation into the FBI’s conduct in 2016. The committee’s investigation into the Justice Department’s conduct — specifically how the federal agency began its investigation into Russia’s election meddling and possible ties to the Trump’s campaign — has become part of a broader challenge from conservatives to the credibility of special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. 
 
 In June, Goodlatte presided over congressional testimony from Strzok, the FBI agent conservatives say was at the center of an FBI conspiracy to elect Hillary Clinton in 2016. The hearing, which lasted more than nine hours, quickly devolved into a partisan shouting match. 
 
 The spectacle has been par for the course in the House Judiciary Committee, which includes some of the House’s most outspoken conservative Trump defenders, like Reps. Mark Meadows (R-NC), Jim Jordan (R-OH), and Matt Gaetz (R-FL) — all of whom have behind a conservative push to impeach Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. 
 
 It seems that Goodlatte’s son, at least, has had enough. ||||| Congressman Bob Goodlatte's son made the surprise announcement on Twitter Sunday night. | Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo Goodlatte's son donates to Democrat running to replace him 
 
 A high-ranking Republican lawmaker's son donated the "maximum amount" to a Democrat running to replace his father. 
 
 Bobby Goodlatte, the son of House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), made the surprise announcement on Twitter Sunday night. Goodlatte is retiring after 13 terms in Congress. 
 
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 "I just gave the maximum allowed donation to Jennifer Lewis, a democrat running for my father's congressional seat. I've also gotten 5 other folks to commit to donate the max. 2018 is the year to flip districts — let's do this!" Bobby Goodlatte wrote on Twitter, where he describes himself as a product designer and angel investor based in San Francisco. 
 
 Lewis said she was surprised by Goodlatte’s public donation when she woke up Monday, calling it a “very exciting morning, to say the least.” The maximum individual donation is $2,700, according to the Federal Election Commission. 
 
 “I really, really admire and respect his willingness to be so public about it, and it's tough when you don't politically agree with your family. And to do it in such a public way, with Congressman Goodlatte being such a huge force in our political world, it’s just, I'm at a loss for words in a lot of ways,” Lewis said. 
 
 The Lewis campaign raised more than $15,000 in donations after Bobby Goodlatte announced his support, spokesman Josh Stanfield said. 
 
 Bobby Goodlatte plans to help out with the Lewis campaign heading into the November midterm elections, Lewis said. His donation has inspired others to follow suit and give money, though Lewis did not say how many donations her campaign had received Monday. Bobby Goodlatte did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 
 
 “He is totally willing to help us out in any way we want him to help us. We're kind of in discussion of what plans we can make until November,” Lewis said. “We're already seeing it has kind of given us an adrenaline shot this morning, for sure.” 
 
 Later in the day, Bobby Goodlatte laid into his father after news broke that FBI agent Peter Strzok had been fired. 
 
 "I’m deeply embarrassed that Peter Strzok’s career was ruined by my father’s political grandstanding. That committee hearing was a low point for Congress. Thank you for your service sir. You are a patriot," Bobby Goodlatte said in a tweet Monday afternoon. Strzok drew criticism from conservatives earlier this summer when an inspector general investigation unearthed text messages Strzok wrote that were critical of President Donald Trump. 
 
 Regardless of his son's criticism, Goodlatte’s district is a challenge for Democrats. Trump carried the central Virginia district with nearly 60 percent of the vote in 2016, and Mitt Romney did the same in the 2012 presidential election. Goodlatte received two-thirds of the vote that year. 
 
 Republican nominee Ben Cline starts with a base of support in the district after 16 years in the state House of Delegates. Cline had previously served as Goodlatte’s chief of staff. He has outraised Lewis more than 5-to-1 through June 30, the end of the most recent FEC reporting period. Cline’s office did not respond to a request for comment. 
 
 Bobby Goodlatte's donation comes as Democrats across the country edge toward flipping the House and gaining a majority. Lewis beat three Democratic competitors in the state's primary election in June, grabbing 48 percent of the vote. 
 
 “I truly believe we will win in November. We’ve been having these conversations with folks where, yes, you may have never voted for a Democrat before, but if you want health care for you and your kids, if you want a living wage for you and your kids, if you want income equality and affordable housing,” Lewis said. “These are the things people are talking about. We’re seeing very good success from canvassing.” 
 
 Goodlatte's office did not respond to a request for comment. ||||| FILE - In this July 12, 2018 file photo, FBI Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok is seated to testify before the the House Committees on the Judiciary and Oversight and Government Reform during a hearing... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - In this July 12, 2018 file photo, FBI Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok is seated to testify before the the House Committees on the Judiciary and Oversight and Government Reform during a hearing on "Oversight of FBI and DOJ Actions Surrounding the 2016 Election," on Capitol Hill in Washington.... (Associated Press) 
 
 The son of a powerful Republican congressman lambasted his father on Twitter on Monday for "ruining" the career of a recently fired FBI agent who had sent anti-Trump text messages during the Russia investigation. 
 
 The son of U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte also began soliciting campaign donations on Sunday for the Democrat who is running to replace his father, who is retiring. The Democratic campaign said more than $25,000 had flowed in from across the country in less than 24 hours. 
 
 The elder Goodlatte, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, is leaving his seat in western Virginia after 13 terms. His son Bobby Goodlatte was an early designer at Facebook and is based in the San Francisco area. 
 
 "I'm deeply embarrassed that Peter Strzok's career was ruined by my father's political grandstanding," the younger Goodlatte wrote on Twitter on Monday. "That committee hearing was a low point for Congress. Thank you for your service sir. You are a patriot." 
 
 Strzok's lawyer said Monday that he had been fired by the FBI. 
 
 Bobby Goodlatte was referring to his father's role in an extraordinarily combative congressional hearing last month in which Strzok was questioned about the anti-Trump texts he had sent. 
 
 The hearing lasted 10 hours. Strzok said the texts, including ones in which he called Trump a "disaster" and said "We'll stop" a Trump candidacy, did not reflect political bias and had not infected his work. 
 
 Congressman Goodlatte asked colleagues to imagine being investigated by someone who "hated you" and "disparaged you in all manner of ways." 
 
 "Would anyone sitting here today believe that this was an acceptable state of affairs, particularly at an agency whose motto is 'Fidelity, Bravery and Integrity'? I think not," Goodlatte said. 
 
 When Strzok declined to answer some questions on the Russia probe, Goodlatte suggested Republicans might recess the hearing and hold him in contempt. Democrats objected and Goodlatte eventually let the hearing proceed. 
 
 A day before he tweeted about his father's treatment of Strzok, the younger Goodlatte had requested donations in support of the Democrat who is running for the open seat in Virginia's 6th District. 
 
 "I just gave the maximum allowed donation to Jennifer Lewis, a democrat running for my father's congressional seat," he wrote. "I've also gotten 5 other folks to commit to donate the max. 2018 is the year to flip districts — let's do this!" 
 
 Political observers have described the House district in Virginia, which includes Roanoke, as safely Republican. Lewis has received about $73,000, according to the latest Federal Elections Commission data. Her Republican opponent, Ben Cline, has pulled in nearly $400,000. 
 
 Following Goodlatte's tweet on Sunday, more than $25,000 had flowed in from across the country by Monday afternoon, according to Lewis' campaign manager, Josh Stanfield. 
 
 He said mostly smaller donations, such as $100, came first from northern California and then from places like Iowa and Alaska. 
 
 "(Bobby Goodlatte) never expected this to go viral," Stanfield said. "Everyone is sort of caught off guard. But obviously it's compelling for some reason. We'd be delighted if he'd come back to the 6th and canvass with us." 
 
 ___ 
 
 Ben Finley reported from Norfolk, Virginia. AP technology writer Barbara Ortutay in New York and AP reporter Brian Slodysko in Washington contributed to this report. ||||| Peter Strzok, a man who has spent his entire life working to help keep us and our nation safe, has been fired. He needs your help.For the last year, Pete, his work, and his character have been the target of highly politicized attacks, including frequent slanderous statements from President Trump, who actively—and apparently successfully—pressured FBI officials to fire Pete.All funds raised on this GoFundMe will be put into a trust dedicated to covering Pete’s hefty – and growing – legal costs and his lost income. The trust is being created and details about its management will be shared here as things progress. We also appreciate your help spreading the word about this GoFundMe by sharing this link: www.gofundme.com/peterstrzok Peter Strzok is a proud husband and father, a veteran of the U.S. Army and counterintelligence Special Agent who spent more than two decades in a job he loved at the FBI.Pete handled some of the agency’s most important cases, thwarting numerous attacks by foreign and domestic adversaries while being consistently promoted and frequently recognized for his skillful and independent work. In describing his 21 years at the FBI, The New York Times said, “He rose quickly through its ranks, earning a reputation within the bureau as one of its most savvy and reliable counterintelligence agents.”But last week, in a decision apparently driven by political pressure, a senior FBI official chose to fire Pete — overruling the agency’s normal and independent process by rejecting the decision of the career professionals in the FBI’s disciplinary division. This has left him without income and facing considerable legal bills.The nation saw Pete’s true character when he voluntarily testified before Congress on July 12th, 2018. Facing an inquisition that even a Fox News anchor said “felt like a public lynching,” he expressed regret for the pain he caused his family and for the harm caused by the weaponization of his words and, as reported by The Daily Beast, “issued a ringing defense of himself and his agency.”Following his repeated Congressional testimony and a lengthy investigation, one thing is clear: Pete’s personal views never once influenced his professional actions. As The Washington Post reported, “Republicans have not been able to produce any evidence that Strzok or anyone else took any official action that was biased, unfair or inappropriate…” The Weekly Standard, a leading conservative magazine, declared that the “overwrought tale of bias” surrounding Pete is “just sound and fury.”The real story behind this episode was made clear in an analysis by Slate, which said that “Peter Strzok is the hero we need.” The author wrote that Pete is an “honest law enforcement officer standing up to a corrupt president. And that’s why Trump attacked him. Trump doesn’t want Americans to...see what backbone looks like. I’ll tell you what it looks like: Republicans tried to put Strzok on trial, and Strzok put Trump on trial instead.”Unlike those who typically become the focus of partisan investigations in Washington, Pete is not politically connected, he’s not a wealthy lobbyist and he’s not interested in using his notoriety for personal gain. Because of this, he doesn’t have deep pockets that allow him to pay for the significant legal bills he has incurred to defend himself and the FBI against these political attacks, or to easily cover the expenses incurred by his lost income.We are asking you to support a man who has dedicated his life to defending America; to stand up for the freedoms on which this country was built and a government that truly serves the people by protecting all Americans, including dedicated government employees, from constantly being subjected to the whims and influence of politicians.*Please note: Due to federal ethics regulations as applied to the Securities and Exchange Commission (“agency”), any donation whose source cannot be determined or which falls into one of the categories below may be returned. Any aggregate donation of $390 or more will be publicly disclosed. We cannot accept donations from any “prohibited source” as defined by federal ethics rules that apply to the agency, which include any person or entity seeking official action by, doing or seeking to do business with, conducting activities regulated by, or having interests that may be substantially affected by the performance or nonperformance of official duties (including, but not limited to publicly traded companies, any individual or entity registered with the agency, anyone who appears or practices before the agency, anyone who is a witness or subject in any investigation by the agency); an organization a majority of whose members are described above; or any employee below a Senior Officer at the agency.**PHOTO: JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/REX/SHUTTE/EPA/SHUTTERSTOCK ||||| A GoFundMe for former FBI agent Peter Strzok has raised more than $120,000 in the hours since his firing was announced Monday. 
 
 The fundraising campaign, which is seeking to raise $150,000, says the money will go to a trust to cover Strzok’s “hefty — and growing” legal costs and loss of income after he was fired for sending texts critical of President Trump Donald John TrumpSoros rep: Fox News refuses to have me on Rihanna vows that her songs will never again play at Trump’s ‘tragic rallies’ Midterm vote to set cyber agenda MORE before the election while involved in multiple politically relevant investigations. 
 
 “Unlike those who typically become the focus of partisan investigations in Washington, Pete is not politically connected, he’s not a wealthy lobbyist and he’s not interested in using his notoriety for personal gain,” the fundraising page reads. “Because of this, he doesn’t have deep pockets that allow him to pay for the significant legal bills he has incurred to defend himself and the FBI against these political attacks, or to easily cover the expenses incurred by his lost income.” 
 
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 The GoFundMe praises Strzok, saying that his “personal views never once influenced his professional actions.” It also criticized the FBI’s decision to fire him, saying it was “driven by political pressure” and breaks with the agency’s typical processes. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Strzok was removed from the special counsel team investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election after his text messages criticizing Trump surfaced. 
 
 Strzok exchanged the messages with then-FBI lawyer Lisa Page, with whom he was having an affair. 
 
 The 21-year FBI veteran has fielded constant attacks from Trump and GOP lawmakers, who say that Strzok’s actions prove anti-Trump bias in the agency. 
 
 Strzok was fired Friday, his attorney confirmed. 
 
 Trump praised the firing, tweeting: “finally.” The president also suggested that the special counsel probe, which he again referred to as a “hoax” and falsely said Strzok "was in charge of," should be ended as a result of Strzok’s firing.
– The son of a high-ranking House Republican has prominently come out in support of a Democrat for his father's seat. Bobby Goodlatte, son of House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, tweeted Sunday that he'd given the "maximum allowed donation to Jennifer Lewis," who he notes is the Democrat running for Rep. Goodlatte's seat. The elder Goodlatte is retiring after a 13-term career. "I've also gotten 5 other folks to commit to donate the max. 2018 is the year to flip districts," the younger Goodlatte wrote. "Let's do this!" Outlets including Politico picked up the story as Bobby Goodlatte continued to tweet, fleshing out some of the reasoning behind the public move. On Monday, he tweeted: "I’m deeply embarrassed that Peter Strzok's career was ruined by my father’s political grandstanding." As Vox notes, Rep. Goodlatte presided over the June hearing in which Strzok was grilled by him and fellow members of the GOP over text messages he once sent to an FBI lawyer that appeared to show his bias against then-candidate Donald Trump. "That committee hearing was a low point for Congress," Bobby Goodlatte tweeted about the 10-hour hearing before turning his attention back to Strzok. "Thank you for your service sir. You are a patriot." According to the AP, Jennifer Lewis' campaign manager, Josh Stanfield, said more than $25,000 had come in from across the country following Bobby Goodlatte's tweet. "Everyone is sort of caught off guard," Stanfield said. "But obviously it's compelling for some reason."