GERB leader Boyko Borissov is mentioned twice in documents within the Epstein files, the vast trove of records linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died in prison in 2019. The files, made public by the U.S. Department of Justice, include a June 2017 report titled “Destruction of Democracy: Goals, Strategies, and Methods of Contemporary Authoritarian Regimes,” though the reason this document is part of the Epstein collection is not clear. Separately, Borissov’s name appears in a July 2020 email from Bulletin Intelligence, associated with the FBI, referencing the “Borissov 3” anti-government protests in Bulgaria.

It is important to note that appearing in the Epstein files does not suggest any personal or criminal connection between Borissov and Epstein. Investigative media outlet BIRD.bg highlighted the mentions, which can also be confirmed through the U.S. Department of Justice’s public search engine.

In the 2017 report, Borissov is mentioned in a section discussing Russia. It notes that Moscow has allegedly funded environmental protests targeting local hydrocarbon projects, aimed at reducing Europe’s dependence on Russian oil and gas. The text states that in 2012, street demonstrations pressured then-Prime Minister Borissov to cancel Chevron contracts for shale oil exploration. Analysts suspect the Kremlin played a role, citing a media campaign worth 20 million euros executed by Russian-linked companies and supported by the far-right pro-Russian party “ATAKA.”

The 2020 email, titled “FBI Public Affairs Briefing,” references a Politico report on U.S. support for protesters during the Borissov 3 cabinet. The email notes that the U.S. Embassy in Sofia backed anti-corruption demonstrations demanding the resignation of Borissov and then-Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev. These protests marked the largest anti-government mobilizations in Bulgaria in seven years, fueled by a corruption crisis exposing oligarchic control over the judiciary and security institutions.

The embassy emphasized in the briefing that “every nation deserves a judicial system that is non-partisan and accountable to the rule of law,” adding that the U.S. supports the Bulgarian people in their peaceful calls for greater trust in democratic institutions and the enforcement of law, underscoring that no individual is above the law.