Len Tepper is an American investigative journalist previously serving as executive director, CBS News Investigations at
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of the American television and radio broadcaster CBS. It is headquartered in New York City. CBS News television programs include ''CBS Evening News'', ''CBS Mornings'', news magazine programs ''CBS News Sunday Morn ...
.
Career
While in college at the
City University of New York
The City University of New York (CUNY, pronounced , ) is the Public university, public university system of Education in New York City, New York City. It is the largest urban university system in the United States, comprising 25 campuses: eleven ...
, prior to graduating in 1976, Tepper joined WNBC's NewsCenter 4. He produced local investigative stories, the most well known detailing construction cost overruns on projects such as Yankee Stadium, the Water Tunnel #3 and Seton Park in the Bronx. Along with
Chris Wallace
Christopher Wallace (born October 12, 1947) is an American broadcast journalist. He is known for his tough and wide-ranging interviews, for which he is often compared to his father, ''60 Minutes'' journalist Mike Wallace. Over his 60-year care ...
In 1982 Tepper went on to work for NBC News where he covered law enforcement. In 1985 he broke the Commission Case. The story detailed how state and federal agents bugged the homes and vehicles of the top Mafia Bosses of New York's
five families
The Five Families refer to five American Mafia, Italian American Mafia Crime family, crime families that operate in New York City. In 1931, the five families were Organized crime, organized by Salvatore Maranzano following his victory in the C ...
. Two weeks later the US Attorney for the Southern District in New York indicted them. Tepper also covered the
Colombo Family
The Colombo crime family (, ) is an Italian Americans, Italian American American Mafia, Mafia crime family and the youngest of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City within the criminal organization known as ...
John Gotti
John Joseph Gotti Jr.Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 25–26 ( , ; October 27, 1940 – June 10, 2002) was an American '' mafioso'' and boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. He ordered and helped to orchestrate the murder of Gambin ...
trials.
In 1985 Len Tepper broke The Pittsburgh drug trials where eleven Major League baseball players were suspended for cocaine usage. The players were granted immunity in exchange for their testimony. The Pittsburgh drug trials are considered one of baseball's biggest all-time scandals.
Tepper also covered the Wall Street Insider Trading scandals including the
Michael Milken
Michael Robert Milken (born July 4, 1946) is an American financier. He is known for his role in the development of the market for High-yield debt, high-yield bonds ("junk bonds"), and his conviction and sentence following a guilty plea on felony ...
and
Ivan Boesky
Ivan Frederick Boesky (; March 6, 1937 – May 20, 2024) was a convicted criminal and an American stock trader who was infamous for his prominent role in an insider trading scandal in the mid-1980s. After getting caught he became a government ...
federal cases.
ABC News
In 1997 Tepper joined the
ABC World News Tonight
''ABC World News Tonight'' (titled ''ABC World News Tonight with David Muir'' for its weeknight broadcasts since September 2014) is the flagship daily evening television news program of ABC News, the news division of the American Broadcasting ...
Investigative Unit. He contributed to two Peabody and two Emmy Awards exposing government waste and international terrorism. Tepper covered 9/11 and was the producer for the 1998, John Miller exclusive interview with Usama Bin Laden. He also covered the Madoff scandal for ABC News and traveled to Nigeria for 20/20 stories on the prolific 419 scams: “Mugus and Masters.”
CBS News
In 2009, Tepper joined CBS News’ Investigative Unit as Chief of Investigative Projects. His stories were featured on CBS Evening News, CBS this Morning and 60 Minutes. He also contributed to CBS News’ coverage of the Boston Bombing, Newtown Massacre, and the terrorist attacks in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
Nice
Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one millionGeorge Polk and Emmy for Compounding Pharmacy Fraud. In addition, the unit has won numerous awards including the 2016 Emmy for Investigative reporting in a Regular Scheduled Newscast for Wounded Warrior, the 2017 Edward R Murrow for Genetic testing Gold Rush, and the 2017 Emmy for Investigative Report in a regular scheduled Newscast, ”U.S Air Force Academy Sexual Assault.” In June 2017, Tepper assisted with live updates to a shooting in a Bronx hospital.
In September 2020 Tepper has been promoted to executive director, CBS News Investigations, overseeing the Investigative Unit.
Awards and honors
* 1977 – Peabody Award “WNBC, F.I.N.D Investigative Reports a part of NewsCenter
* 2001 – Emmy Award: “ABC News Post 9/11 Investigation”
* 2001 – Peabody Award: “Coverage of September 11th"
* 2001 – Society of Professional Journalists Sigma Delta Chi Award and Bronze Medallion: "Investigative Reports Post 9/11"
* 2006 – Emmy Award: "Conduct Unbecoming"
* 2006 – Peabody Award: "Conduct Unbecoming"
* 2007 – National Headliner Award Nigerian 4019 scam: "Mugus and Masters"
* 2008 – RTNDA Edward R. Murrow Award: "Pharmacy Errors"
* 2012/2013 – Columbia Dupont Award: "Newtown Massacre"
* 2013 – Emmy Award for CBS coverage of the Boston Marathon Bombing
* 2015 – Emmy Award: "Compounding Pharmacy Drug Fraud"
* 2016 – Emmy Award: "Wounded Warrior"
* 2017 – Edward R Murrow Award: "Genetic testing Gold Rush"
* 2017 – Emmy Award: "US Air Force Academy Sexual Assault"
* 2018- Society of Professional Journalist Sigma Delta Chi Award Television Investigative Reporting (Network/Syndication) “National Flood Insurance Mismanagement” 3*2019 - Society of Professional Journalist Sigma Delta Chi Award and Bronze Medallion “Billion Dollar Medicare Fraud Expose”
– Source 4
* 2020-Scripps Howard Award Excellence in Broadcast National/International Coverage, “CBS News for “Norah O’Donnell Investigates: Military Sexual Assault.” 5*2020-Society of Professional Journalists Sigma Delta Chi for Excellence in Journalism- Television Investigative Reporting (Network/Syndication) “VA Ignores War's Signature Wound, Leaving Vets to Die”
*2021-Society of Environmental Journalists- Kevin Carmody Award for Outstanding Investigative Reporting, Large- First Place-“Toxic Legacy”
*2021-New York Press Club, Gold Keyboard Award- “Military Sexual Assault:Norah O’Donnell Investigates” 6*2021- Society of Professional Journalists Sigma Delta Chi Award for Excellence in Journalism, Public Service in Television Journalism category for “Broken Medical Boards” 7*2022-DuPont-Columbia Award- “Military Sexual Assault - Norah O’Donnell Investigates” 8
References
13. Society of Professional Journalists- Press release announcing the 2018 Sigma Delta Chi winners 4/25/2019
14. Society of Professional Journalists- Press release announcing the 2019 Sigma Delta Chi Awards 6/26/2020
15. 2020 Scripps Howard Awards announce 2020 winners,recognize excellence in journalism
16. New York Press Club- The winners for 2021- https://www.nypressclub.org/awards.photo
17. Paramount Press Express- www.paramountpressexpress.com, June 24, 2022. CBS News Earns Three 2021 Sigma Delta Chi Awards for Excellence in Journalism
18. DuPont-Columbia award announcement, CBS press release-https://press express,sho.com/cbs-news-and-stations/release/view?id=59108