Jeff Stein, the author of a Congressional Quarterly article that described Sofia's Mayor as the country's most powerful politician and a man with mobster connections, said Borissov wasn't the real focus of his story.

Stein met with Bulgaria's Ambassador to the States Elena Poptodorova and told her that he was actually exploring his country's interior politics and was connected to George Bush's policy towards Iraq. He added that Bulgaria and Boyko Borisov weren't a leading theme in his article.

The US journalist explained that he had information about Borissov from one of his own sources and that he knew very little of Bulgaria, Foreign Minister Ivaylo Kalfin said before local MPs.

Kalfin also explained that before the publication Stein did look for cooperation from the Bulgarian embassy in the US to give Borissov the right to an answer. The embassy pointed him towards Sofia Municipality and gave him an e-mail address to contact Borissov. He added that Stein gave Borissov an hour and 15 minutes to reply.

The story in Congressional Quarterly, which focuses on covering primarily the works of the US Congress, indirectly criticizes the foreign policy of the Bush administration, given that Borissov is one of the strongest supporters for US military bases in Bulgaria.

The report, however, contains a blatant mistake, calling Borissov a former interior minister.

It claims that during his four-year term as interior minister during 2001-2005 Borissov used his responsibility for policing official corruption to help mob associates wipe out their underworld competition.

Borissov previously served as chief secretary at the Interior Ministry.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!