White House teleprompter operator ordered to pay $172K for placing prediction market bets on Trump’s speeches
The agency said Gabriel Perez used nonpublic access to Trump speeches to make $107,539.02 in trades and must pay a $65,000 penalty.
- On Friday, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ordered former White House teleprompter operator Gabriel Perez to pay $172,539 for using advance access to President Donald Trump's speeches to execute illegal trades on a prediction-market platform.
- Between December 2025 and February 2026, Perez traded presidential "mention market" contracts on Kalshi, betting on specific words and phrases that would appear in Trump's speeches while working at the White House.
- The settlement requires Perez to pay a $65,000 civil monetary penalty and surrender $107,500 in profits, with the CFTC noting the penalty reflected a discount for his "exemplary cooperation" with investigators.
- Perez is no longer employed by the federal government after being placed on unpaid leave; White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the conduct "unfortunate" and "a disgrace."
- Beyond the monetary fines, Perez received a three-year trading ban and must cease violations of the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC regulations, with KalshiEX assisting federal regulators in the matter.
18 Articles
18 Articles
White House staff fined, forfeits winnings for betting on Trump’s words
A former White House teleprompter operator accused of using inside knowledge to make bets on the prediction market Kalshi has been ordered to turn over more than US$100,000 in profits and pay a US$65,000 fine as part of a settlement with federal authorities. The settlement with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, announced on Friday, also dealt Gabriel Perez a three-year trading ban. Perez was placed on unpaid leave from his job at the Whi…
Former White House teleprompter operator ordered to turn over profits,
A helicopter from Marine Helicopter Squadron One, or HMX-1, flies past the White House after President Donald Trump arrived at the Ellipse near the White House, Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, in Washington, on return from Houston. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Associated Press News
Former White House teleprompter operator ordered to turn over profits, pay fine over insider trading
A former White House teleprompter operator accused of using inside knowledge to make bets on the prediction market Kalshi has been ordered to turn over more than $100,000 in profits and pay a $65,000 penalty as part of a federal settlement.
CFTC fines ex-White House teleprompter operator $220K for insider trading
Former White House aide fined $220K for illegal trading using advance access to Trump’s speeches, including a three-year trading ban and repayment of profits. Read more at straitstimes.com.
CFTC fines former White House aide US$172,000 for trading on Trump speech information
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Friday ordered former White House teleprompter operator Gabriel Perez to pay US$172,539 for using advance access to U.S. President Donald Trump’s speeches to make illegal trades on a prediction-market platform.
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