A juicy bit of breaking news from the Washington Post:

A White House document shows that executives from big oil companies met with Vice President Cheney’s energy task force in 2001 — something long suspected by environmentalists but denied as recently as last week by industry officials testifying before Congress.

Reader support helps sustain our work. Donate today to keep our climate news free. All donations DOUBLED!

The executives were not under oath when they testified, so they are not vulnerable to charges of perjury; committee Democrats had protested the decision by Commerce Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) not to swear in the executives. But a person can be fined or imprisoned for up to five years for making “any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement or representation” to Congress.

Grist thanks its sponsors. Become one.

Not that there ever was much, but can there be any doubt left about the provenance of Bush administration energy policy?