A former executive of the now-defunct CountrywideFinancial Corp. told Republican lawmakers last month that Sen. Chris Dodd knew he was getting a VIP mortgage deal.

At a Feb. 2 news conference, Dodd said he knew he was in a VIP program but insisted he was told by Countrywide that only meant he would get "enhanced customer service.""[The Dodds] were never offered special or sweetheart deals and if anyone had made such an offer, they would have severed that relationship immediately," a Dodd spokesman said Tuesday.

AP wire services were used in this report.