LegiStorm

As protesters took to the streets nationwide and in Ferguson, Mo., last week, Congress reacted on Twitter to the grand jury announcement.

Members of Congress and their staff have publicly tweeted at least 500 times about "Ferguson" since last Monday, commenting on word that Officer Darren Wilson will not face charges for teenager Michael Brown's death. A sampler from congressional staff:

- Donny Ferguson, press secretary for Rep. Steve Stockman (R-Texas):

"Protestors are blocking bridges as payback for #Ferguson. You know, the same thing liberals wanted Chris Christie imprisoned for." Nov. 25 at 9:47 p.m.

"Does this make Chris Christie the father of the Ferguson protest movement?" Nov. 30 at 3:43 p.m.

- Narda J. Terrones, constituent services representative and outreach coordinator for Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas):

"One nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for... white males only... #DarrenWilson #Ferguson #FergusonDecision #MikeBrown #justice" Nov. 24, at 9:59 p.m.

- Jerry Ruskowski, systems administrator and assistant operations manager for Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), and Matt Stoller, senior policy adviser for Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.), both tweeted photos apparently from the scene of the D.C. protest.

"And now it's time for the protest class picture. #Ferguson" Stoller captioned a photo as rows of protesters lined a stairway.  Nov. 25 at 9:14 p.m.

- M'Shai Dash, communications assistant for Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.):

"Meanwhile, North Korea's over there like, 'Stay outta our sh** 'til you fix your own.' Smh. #Ferguson #NorthKorea" Nov. 25 at 1:23 p.m.

- Michael Detwiler, field representative for Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn.):

"GOV 101 - DA 101 - Why didn't anyone say 'Men, announcing the findings from the grand jury at 8 pm' is a bad idea? #Ferguson" Nov. 25 at 10:16 a.m.

- Elizabeth Lauten, now-resigned communications director for Rep. Stephen Fincher (R-Tenn.):

"Put every idiot in Ferguson in jail tonight. This behavior is absolutely unacceptable. Don't care how mad you are- worst way to make a point" Nov. 25 at 1:33 a.m. 

- Alyssa Farah, communications director for Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.):

"It may be time to step away from your keyboard and remember that regardless of tonight's decision, an 18-year-old kid is dead. #Ferguson" Nov. 24 at 10:08 p.m.

Rep. Ed Whitfield's (R-Ky.) chief of staff, who navigated a delicate ethics issue involving his boss' wife, has left for a communications and public affairs position at a Fortune 500 company.

Cory Hicks left Whitfield's office this month amid a probe over interaction between the office and the congressman's wife, a registered lobbyist. He had served as chief of staff since January 2013 and moved up through the ranks of Whitfield's office starting with an internship in 2003.

In an email in October 2013, Hicks reportedly told his boss he had talked to the Ethics Committee about requesting meetings with lobbyists and they had no issue with it. But he did not mention that Whitfield's wife was involved in meetings as he "suspected they would have expressed concerns."

Connie Harriman-Whitfield, the congressman's wife, has registered to lobby with the Humane Society Legislative Fund since 2011.

Hicks' new job as director of communications and public affairs at Fluor Corp. takes him to a company with long-standing interests in Washington. Fluor Corp. has lobbied on topics including nuclear energy and marine and maritime issues.

Due to an editing error, Tuesday's Caught Our Eye story misstated when Rep. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) left on a privately funded trip to Tanzania. He left Nov. 5, a day after the election.

As Republicans prepared to solidify their newfound power in Washington, Rep. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) pulled a disappearing act after election day to commune with nature.

But this time, his travels took him to Africa instead of Appalachia.

The International Conservation Caucus Foundation financed a $6,235 trip for Sanford and his son to Tanzania, where he visited the Serengeti National Park and attended meetings on poaching and the environment, according to a disclosure. The week-long trip, two months after Sanford announced his break-up with his fiancé and onetime mistress on Facebook, began the day after election day.

The foundation has spent about $100,000 so far this year on trips for members of Congress and their staffs, with travels to Costa Rica, Colombia, Mozambique and South Africa.

Sanford's Tanzania trip was his second in 2014 after a shorter-distance trip to Richmond, Va., with the Heritage Foundation. He also visited Israel last year on a privately financed trip with then-fiancé Maria Belén Chapur.

The two split up in September amidst continued contention between Sanford and his ex-wife, with Sanford reportedly delaying the wedding. The former governor disappeared for several days in 2009, prompting a spokesperson to claim he was hiking the Appalachian Trail. Sanford later admitted he had been visiting Chapur in Argentina.