In Washington, the former Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security has admitted he was pressured to tone down criticism of the agency in the months before the 2004 election. The official, Clark Kent Ervin, was hired to serve as an independent watchdog inside the agency. But he has admitted to ABC News that then Secretary Tom Ridge intimidated him, stared him down and forced him to back off on issuing critical reports on the state of homeland security ahead of the election.