President Trump’s White House teleprompter operator, Gabriel Perez, has settled an insider‑trading case with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Under the agreement, Perez will pay a $65,000 civil fine and forfeit $107,000 in profits he earned from trades on the prediction‑market platform Kalshi.
How the scheme worked
According to the CFTC filing, Perez used nonpublic information he obtained while reviewing the president’s speeches to place bets on “mention markets” that predict which words or phrases Trump would use at public events. The trades covered high‑profile occasions such as the State of the Union address, the National Prayer Breakfast, a Medal of Honor ceremony, and various campaign rallies.
In total, Perez made 49 trades and won 39 of them, netting more than $107,000. He admitted in a voluntary interview that his decisions were based on the confidential material he accessed as part of his duties.
Regulatory response
The CFTC said Perez breached a duty of trust and confidentiality owed to the U.S. government. While the agency noted his cooperation was “exemplary,” it still imposed a substantial penalty and a three‑year ban from participating in any Kalshi market.
Kalshi’s head of enforcement, Bobby DeNault, said the company reported the prohibited activity to the CFTC and emphasized that no one is above the law: “It doesn’t matter who you are: violate our rules or federal law and you will face the consequences.”
Political context
The case marks the first known instance of a White House employee being accused of insider trading in prediction markets, a sector that has grown rapidly this year. President Trump praised CFTC Chairman Michael Selig, a Trump appointee, for his leadership of the agency and its support of the emerging prediction‑market industry.
Former CFTC commissioner Christy Goldsmith Romero, a Biden‑era appointee, criticized the relatively modest fine, arguing that a stronger penalty could have sent a clearer deterrent message to future offenders.
Impact on the administration
White House officials described Perez’s actions as “a disgrace,” and the president placed the aide on unpaid leave while the investigation proceeded. The administration has not issued a further comment.
While the settlement resolves the civil enforcement action, the case underscores the importance of safeguarding confidential government information and the growing scrutiny of prediction‑market platforms by federal regulators.
Original reporting: Oklahoma City News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
