Recount, anyone?

Fox is defending itself against claims that corporate sponsor AT&T unfairly swayed the show’s outcome by providing Kris Allen fans with free “power texts” and taught people how to cast blocks of votes.

On Wednesday, AT&T confirmed the report, first featured in the morning edition of The New York Times, but said their employees handed out the phones after being “swept up in the moment.”

“Last week, countless parties were held in homes, bars, and other public places across America to watch the ‘American Idol’ finale. In Arkansas, a few local AT&T employees were invited to attend two local watch parties organized by the community,” AT&T said in a statement Wednesday. “Caught up in the enthusiasm of rooting for their hometown contestant, they brought a small number of demo phones with them and provided texting tutorials to those who were interested.”

According to The New York Times, AT&T provided phones for free text-messaging services at two Kris Allen parties in Arkansas on the night of the finals. Times insiders report seeing AT&T reps showing party-goers how to “power text” — cast 10 votes at the touch of a button — which violates show rules.

No similar efforts appear to have been made to provide free texting services to Adam Lambert fans, who have complained that the competition’s voting was rigged.

On Wednesday, Fox, Idol producers 19 Entertainment, and FremantleMedia issued a statement of their own insisting voting was not swayed in this year’s competition:

“Fox and the producers of American Idol are absolutely certain that the results of this competition are fair, accurate and verified. Kris Allen is, without a doubt, the American Idol. We have an independent third-party monitoring procedure in place to ensure the integrity of the voting process. In no way did any individuals unfairly influence the outcome of the competition.”