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WASHINGTON (CNN) - Congressional Democrats are asking Wal-Mart for employee data in order to determine if claims of wage discrimination against female workers are true.

In a letter drafted by Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., and signed by 50 of her colleagues, the company was asked to provide its wage statistics, along with any related information that Wal-Mart has already given to the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission.

"It is of great concern to us that Wal-Mart (Research), America's largest employer, does not pay its women the same wage as men for the same work," said the letter, addressed to Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott.

It cited research done by Richard Drogin, a professor emeritus at California State University at Hayward, saying it shows Wal-Mart paid its female hourly workers 40 cents less per hour than their male counterparts, and paid its female managers nearly $5,000 per year less than male managers.

The letter also claimed that while women make up 72 percent of Wal-Mart's workforce -- almost 700,000 employees overall -- they account for only 15 percent of its store managers.

Wal-Mart said Friday the data cited in the letter is "false and incorrect."

Ray Bracy, a Wal-Mart vice president of public affairs, told CNN that Drogin's report, first published in 2003, is not reflective of current data concerning pay statistics at Wal-Mart.

Drogin is currently being retained by the legal team representing a class-action lawsuit against Wal-Mart, Duke vs. Wal-Mart Stores, filed in April 2003. He would not comment on how much he is being paid for his work on the case, but did say that he has updated his research, which is available on the Web site www.walmartclass.com.

Bracy would not cite current pay statistics at Wal-Mart.

He said 60 percent of Wal-Mart employees and 40 percent of its managers are female.

"We have a very active program to promote women at Wal-Mart and we do not tolerate discrimination of any kind at the company," he said.

The request for data, which does not have the force of law, is the latest in a series of public actions and campaigns painting Wal-Mart as not treating its employees fairly. Recently, the company has been fighting charges that it does not offer adequate health insurance.

-- from CNN Business News Senior Producer Scott Spoerry

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