The Department of Justice has pulled the plug on several high-profile investigations of members of Congress recently. But the DOJ sought to dispel any notion that it has become hesitant because of the disastrous episode involving the late Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska.)

As The New York Times recounted on Monday, the DOJ recently announced that it will not pursue charges against Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) and Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.) who had been the subject of lengthy investigations. Ensign came under scrutiny for his efforts to help a former campaign aide with whom he had had an affair, while Lewis was in the spotlight for steering government spending to campaign donors.

Other investigations that ended without federal charges being lodged focused on Tom DeLay of Texas, the former House majority leader, and Rep. Don Young of Alaska, both Republicans, and Rep. Alan B. Mollohan (D-W.Va.).

But Lanny Breuer, the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Criminal Division, rejected any suggestion that the DOJ has become “gun-shy” because of setbacks. “If a case cannot be brought, it’s because we’ve taken a hard look and made the determination that this case cannot be proved beyond a reasonable doubt,” he said, adding that behavior that might be labeled “reprehensible or immoral” is not necessarily criminal.

The DOJ’s biggest setback, and arguably the saddest, involved Stevens. He was convicted on corruption charges in 2008, but the verdict was later thrown out because of misconduct by prosecutors, who themselves came under investigation. One prosecutor committed suicide in September, several weeks after Stevens was killed in a plane crash.

President Barack Obama signed into law legislation Tuesday that establishes a new section within the Justice Department’s Criminal Division to handle human rights crimes.

The House cleared the Human Rights Enforcement Act of 2009 by a 416-3 vote last week. The bill had passed the Senate last month by unanimous consent.

The legislation lays the foundation for merging the Office of Special Investigations and the Domestic Security Section into the new section. The Office of Special Investigations — which was established to probe ex-Nazi war criminals living in the United States — has jurisdiction over U.S. citizens accused of human rights crimes. The Domestic Security Section focuses on non-U.S. citizens accused of violating human rights laws and who are now in the United States.

The new section will prosecute torture, genocide, child soldiers and war crimes that are committed by any person who is in the United States.

The House sent legislation to the White House today that would create a new section within the Justice Department Criminal Division to handle human rights crimes.

The House approved the Human Rights Enforcement Act of 2009 by a 416-3 vote.  Republican Reps. Paul Broun (Ga.), Ron Paul (Texas) and Don Young (Alaska) were the only lawmakers to vote against the bill. The legislation cleared the Senate last month by unanimous consent.

The bill would lay the groundwork for folding the Office of Special Investigations and the Domestic Security Section into the new section. The Office of Special Investigations — which was created to probe ex-Nazi war criminals living in the United States — has jurisdiction over U.S. citizens accused of human rights crimes. The Domestic Security Section focuses on non-U.S. citizens accused of violating human rights laws and who are now in the United States.

The new section would prosecute genocide, child soldiers, torture and war crimes that are committed by any person who is in the United States. Criminal Division chief Lanny Breuer said this fall that he supports the establishment of a human rights section. Read our previous report here.