WASHINGTON, DC — The General Accounting Office (GAO), the investigative unit of Congress, has filed suit against Vice President Dick Cheney in an attempt to make him disclose the names of executives from energy companies who talked with the administration’s energy task force in its development of national energy policy.

Cheney was the head of the energy task force. This marked the first time that the GAO has ever sued a member of the White House staff for failure to turn over documents.

The vice president has been adamant in wanting to keep the records confidential, citing executive privilege and stating that turning them over would hurt the White House in trying to get the advice of industry experts. Investigators are trying to determine the influence of energy companies, including Enron, in forming energy policy.