The chief of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) said he's unsure who had the idea to create a Twitter-like social network in Cuba, a project his own agency funded.

In a heated exchange, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) pressed Rajiv Shah, the administrator of USAID, to tell him who was behind USAID's effort to fund and create ZunZuneo, a stripped-down social network marketed to Cubans that had the ultimate goal of stirring unrest in the Island.

Leahy called the project a "cockamamie idea" and repeatedly asked Shah to explain whose idea it was to launch the project.

Shah dodged the question several times, saying the program was designed in 2007 and 2008, before he became the USAID administrator. He added the original story, which was published by the Associated Press, had a number of inaccuracies.

Finally, Leahy interrupted Shah and asked him once more: "Do you know whose idea it was?"

"I do not specifically," Shah responded, before explaining that "working on creating platforms to improve communication in Cuba and in many other parts of the world is a core part of what USAID has done for some time and continues to do."

The AP broke the story about ZunZuneo last week, and since then, both the White House and USAID claimed the program was not "covert" or "illegal," as the original story implied. On Monday, USAID posted a vehement denial listing eight facts that the original report allegedly got wrong.

During the hearing, Shah echoed the main point in the USAID's denial, that the program was not "covert" at all, but it was "discreet" due to the sensitivity of the project. However, it remains unclear how aware the White House was of the program, and who exactly authorized it.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.