Reid: White House doesn't prohibit Las Vegas trips

LAS VEGAS (Associated Press) -Nevada Sen. Harry Reid says a recent letter from a top aide to President Barack Obama shows there's no "informal federal policy" against government meetings and conferences in Las Vegas.

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said in a letter to the Senate Democratic majority leader this week that federal agencies are not prohibited from booking events in Las Vegas.

Emanuel's letter says value, not location, should be the basis for booking a trip.

A Reid aide says Emanuel was responding to a June 26 letter from Reid claiming agencies including the FBI, General Services Agency and Bureau of Indian Affairs had canceled recent Las Vegas meetings.

The issue dates to a comment Obama made in February that critics say damaged the city's convention business.