July 8 (Bloomberg) -- The Bush administration today apologized to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, one of its staunchest allies in Europe, for an ``insulting'' biography that was handed out to White House reporters at the Group of Eight meetings in Japan.

``Berlusconi was one of the most controversial leaders in the history of a country known for governmental corruption and vice,'' reads the profile. ``Primarily a businessman with massive holdings and influence in international media, he was regarded by many as a political dilettante who gained his high office only through use of his considerable influence on the national media until he was forced out of office in 2006.''

Berlusconi, who swept to power for the third time in 15 years in April, has called himself U.S. President George W. Bush's best friend in continental Europe. The self-made billionaire turned politician sent troops to Iraq after the U.S. invasion in 2003 and has hosted Bush at his summer residence in Sardinia. Berlusconi visited Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, and was invited to address the U.S. Congress in 2006 in a previous stint as prime minister.

`Unfortunate Mistake'

The biography ``used language that is insulting'' and ``the sentiments expressed in the biography do not represent the views of President Bush, the American government, or the American people,'' White House spokesman Tony Fratto wrote in a letter distributed via e-mail. ``We apologize to Italy and to the prime minister for this very unfortunate mistake.''

When asked about the flap over his biography, Berlusconi said that he wasn't the one who had sought an apology, suggesting the media had generated the controversy.

Italy ``is a country that loves to flagellate itself and make itself look bad,'' Berlusconi told reporters today in Toyako, Japan, during the second day of the G-8 meeting.

The Italian premier's profile was copied from a Web site, ``Encyclopedia of World Biography,'' the White House said. The same source describes Bush as `` often taking time out in the middle of the day to go jogging or play video games. He complained that he did not like to read long books and that he hated meetings and briefings.''

Media Fortune

Berlusconi, 71, is Italy's third-richest man. He and his family own Italy's biggest private television broadcaster, Mediaset SpA, and are worth $9.4 billion, according to Forbes magazine. As prime minister he also has control of state-owned television RAI SpA.

Berlusconi has faced dozens of corruption trials since entering politics in 1994, when his first government fell after newspapers reported he was under investigation for bribing tax police. He was later acquitted of the charges. Since then, 789 prosecutors and judges have investigated him, forcing him to spend 174 million euros ($271 million) in legal fees, he says.

The premier is now on trial in Milan for allegedly bribing U.K. lawyer David Mills to lie under oath in another case against him. In a separate trial, the premier is accused of committing tax fraud when purchasing film rights from Hollywood for his media company. Berlusconi and Mills deny any wrongdoing.

To contact the reporter on this story: Flavia Krause-Jackson in Rome at fjackson@bloomberg.netSteve Scherer in Toyako, Japan at scherer@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: July 8, 2008 08:18 EDT