technical expert who helps you with these things, who might have been there? >> with respect, sir, we drill hundreds of wells a year all around the world. >> i know. that's what's scaring me right now. >> reporter: hayward was bombarded by scathing criticism, another controversy was born when the committee's top republican accused the white house of forcing bp to fork over what he called a $20 billion slush fund. >> i do not want to live in a country where any time a citizen or a corporation does something that is legitimately wrong is subject to some sort of political pressure that is, again, in my words, amounts to a shakedown. so i apologize. >> reporter: a senior republican apologizing to bp. democrats from capitol hill to the white house saw political opportunity and pounced. >> i find it incredibly insensitive. >> reporter: as pressure mounted, cnn is told that house gop leaders met with barton and