WHITE HOUSE SAYS SUNUNU'S FLIGHTS WERE WITHIN THE RULES

White House Chief of Staff John Sununu paid back the cost of military flights when appropriate, an administration spokesman says, responding to reports that Mr. Sununu used government planes for ski trips and Republican fund-raising. "Reimbursements for Governor Sununu's travel have always been made to the government whenever appropriate," White House spokesman John Herrick says.

Herrick said Sununu's travel had been appropriate for a presidential chief of staff.

The Washington Post said in a front-page story Sunday that Sununu used military jets more than 60 times in the past two years for travel that included flights to Colorado ski resorts, to Sununu's home state of New Hampshire, and to Republican fund-raisers.

A presidential spokesman told the Post that White House policy required Sununu to use military planes in order to stay in "immediate voice contact with the White House at all times."