Obama adviser: BP execs to be told they must relinquish control of damage claims processing

more images

more images

Axelrod: BP cannot ’slow-walk’ damage payments

WASHINGTON — A leading presidential adviser says a critical goal of a White House showdown with BP executives is to make sure victims of the Gulf oil spill won’t be “slow-walked by the company” to their compensation payments.

Senior adviser David Axelrod tells CBS’s “The Early Show,” that “it’s not a matter of trust. It’s a matter of holding them accountable.” He said that when President Barack Obama meets the BP executives later Wednesday, he’s “going to insist” on an independently administered claims processing system with billions of dollars in assets.

Axelrod says Obama is determined to ensure that businesses and individuals in the stricken region get their payments “in a timely fashion.” He said he thought the president got that point across clearly in Tuesday night’s Oval Office address.