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COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- South Carolina officials responding to the massive breach of taxpayers' personal information say they went straight to Experian for help, resulting in a $12 million no-bid contract.

Revenue Director Jim Etter and Gov. Nikki Haley have both said they talked only to Experian, partly because it was already under contract with the state's Medicaid agency for a data theft there.

But this week, Revenue officials named two other companies they say were quickly but thoroughly considered before Experian was chosen.

And the CEOs of those companies dispute that. They say no one at Citreas or Identity Force was contacted about South Carolina's cyber-attack. They also disagree with officials' explanations that only Experian had the expertise and capacity to quickly provide services for the millions of taxpayers made vulnerable to identity theft.