A White House teleprompter operator is under investigation after allegedly using inside information to place bets and accumulate nearly $100,000 from speeches by U. S. President Donald Trump.
Gabriel Perez, who has worked at the White House since 2016, is accused of betting on words the president would say during major addresses, including the State of the Union. The trades occurred on Kalshi, a prediction markets platform where users wager on real-world events. Kalshi confirmed it reported the activity to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), which regulates the platform.
The exchange froze Perez’s account before any profits could be withdrawn, according to reports. Analysts at Kalshi saw unusual betting on “mention markets”—contracts that predict whether a speaker will use common terms such as specific countries, economic words, or campaign slogans—in March. Kalshi said, “The words of political leaders like Presidents and Fed chairs cause billions of dollars of movement in FX markets, oil futures, [and] the stock market.
” Using account data, Kalshi determined the user was a federal employee operating White House teleprompters. The platform froze more than $90,000 before it could be withdrawn. Robert DeNault, Kalshi’s head of enforcement, said the firm flagged the trades and handed evidence to regulators.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump was aware of the teleprompter operator and that the staffer is now on unpaid leave, before adding Perez would no longer work at the White House. The BBC’s report was first reported by ABC News and confirmed by CBS News. Sources said Perez has been “fully cooperative” with the CFTC.
ABC reported that federal prosecutors in Manhattan declined to open a criminal case. When contacted by the BBC, the CFTC would not confirm or deny any probe.
