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California State University, Sacramento

Sacramento native and Pulitzer Prize winner Russell A. Buettner has been an investigative reporter since he graduated from California State University, Sacramento in 1990. He has written for the Daily News and Newsday, both in New York, and has been a reporter with The New York Times since 2006.

Since 2016, Mr. Buettner’s investigative reporting has focused on the personal finances of former President Donald J. Trump. His articles have explored Mr. Trump’s business records, revealing a history of overstating revenues from businesses on tax returns. Along with his colleagues at the Times, Mr. Buettner’s reporting also revealed that contrary to his public representations as a self-made businessman, the former president received the equivalent of at least $413 million from his father, a figure that was not reported accurately on tax returns. For these journalistic efforts, Mr. Buettner and his New York Times colleagues won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in explanatory reporting.

In 2012, Mr. Buettner and a colleague were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize for public service for investigative reporting that uncovered abuse, neglect and other deadly mistakes in New York’s system of state care for developmentally disabled people. Over the years, Mr. Buettner’s reporting has exposed numerous instances of corruption by elected and appointed officials.

In recognition of his prominent career as an investigative reporter and his longstanding support of the university, the Board of Trustees of the California State University and California State University, Sacramento are proud to confer upon Russell A. Buettner the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters.