Former Acting FBI Director] Pickard testified to the 9/11 commission that when he tried to brief Ashcroft... on July 12, about the terror threat inside the United States, he got the brush-off. "Mr. Ashcroft told you that he did not want to hear about this anymore," Democratic commission member Richard Ben-Veniste asked on April 13. "Is that correct?" "That is correct," Pickard replied. Testifying under oath the same day, Ashcroft categorically denied the allegation, saying, "I did never speak to him saying that I didn't want to hear about terrorism." [more]