A week after executives for five major oil companies testified before Congress regarding their record third-quarter earnings, some of that testimony is being questioned.

During questioning in a special hearing Nov. 9 the five executives each testified that their companies did not participate in an energy policy task force organized by Vice President Dick Cheney in 2001.

However, White House documents uncovered by The Washington Post said otherwise, prompting a call for clarification from several senators.

The Post reported Wednesday, Nov. 16, documents showed that representatives from four of the companies did visit the White House and met with aides from Cheney’s task force in early 2001.

The Associated Press reported that Sen. Pete Domenici, R-NM, and Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-NM, sent letters to the executives who testified asking them to clarify what they said regarding the meetings in an effort to resolve “apparent inconsistencies” in their testimony.

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-WA, along with five other senators, has asked Domenici – chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee – to recall the executives for new testimony under oath.

The executives – from Exxon Mobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Shell Oil Co. and BP America – were not put under oath the first time. However, that does not mean that they cannot be charged with giving false statements before Congress.

At least two of the companies, BP America and Chevron, have denied being involved with Cheney’s task force, though they admitted that representatives of their companies do routinely meet with government officials, The AP reported.