David Cay Johnston joined The New York Times as a business  reporter in February 1995.  He covers tax issues and the Internal Revenue Service. Mr. Johnston won a Pulitzer Prize for Beat Reporting in 2001 for his many thoughtful and revealing articles on the Internal Revenue Service and problems in the tax system.

Prior to joining The Times, Mr. Johnston reported for The Philadelphia Inquirer from 1988 to 1995. He covered the casino industry and also served as night and Sunday business editor. From 1976 to 1988, he reported for The Los Angeles Times. From 1973 to 1976, Mr. Johnston was an investigative reporter at The Detroit Free Press. He began his journalism career at The San Jose Mercury & News, where from 1968 to 1973 he was its youngest staff writer.

Mr. Johnston was born in San Francisco on Dec. 24, 1948. He studied economics and law at the University of Chicago in 1973.  He also studied at Michigan State and San Francisco State University and four community colleges.
He is the author of “Temples of Chance” (Doubleday, 1992), an expose of the casino industry. His book on the tax system, incomes and wealth is to be published in October 2003 by Penguin Putnam.

Mr. Johnston is married to Jennifer Leonard, president of the Rochester (N.Y.) Area Community Foundation. He has eight children and three grandchildren.