Trump teleprompter operator ordered to pay nearly $173K over Kalshi bets on speeches

Federal Regulators Impose Multi-Million Dollar Penalty on White House Teleprompter Operator for Presidential Speech Insider Trading

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A White House teleprompter operator who utilized advance access to President Donald Trump’s speeches to speculate on the president’s future statements has been ordered to pay nearly $173,000 and halt trading for three years, federal regulators announced Friday.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) reported that Gabriel Perez, Trump’s teleprompter technician since 2016, misappropriated nonpublic materials acquired through his official role to engage in event-contract speculation on Kalshi, a prediction‑market platform, for personal gain.

Perez, who received paid administrative leave in July amid the ongoing investigation, was required to surrender $107,539 in trading profits and remit a $65,000 civil penalty.

The CFTC additionally enforced a three‑year trading prohibition and directed Perez to cease all further violations of federal commodities statutes and regulations.

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Gabriel Perez was ordered to surrender $107,539 in trading profits, pay a $65,000 civil penalty and accept a three-year trading ban, according to the CFTC. (Reuters / Reuters)

The CFTC discovered that between December 2025 and February 2026, while serving as a White House teleprompter operator, Perez engaged in “presidential mention market” transactions whose outcomes hinged on whether President Trump used particular words or phrases in his public remarks.

These event contracts distributed payouts based on the presence of specific utterances within Donald Trump’s speeches.

Investigation revealed that Perez accessed presidential addresses prior to their delivery and unlawfully repurposed that insider knowledge to generate speculative trades.

According to the commission, Perez realized more than $107,500 in profit from such activities.

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A White House teleprompter operator leveraged privileged access to President Donald Trump’s speaking schedule to win over $107,000 by wagering on keywords he intended to speak. (Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post via Getty Images / Getty Images)

His $65,000 civil fine was framed by the CFTC as a significant reduction due to his exemplary cooperation with the probe.

Robert DeNault, head of enforcement at Kalshi, responded that violators of the platform’s policies must face accountability.

“A Kalshi surveillance review uncovered a White House staffer executing prohibited trading behavior,” DeNault stated on X.

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Gabriel Perez, a White House teleprompter operator, was ordered to pay a $65,000 civil penalty and surrender more than $107,000 in trading profits, according to the CFTC. (John Moore/Getty Images / Getty Images)

The trading scheme originated after Kalshi’s monitoring tools detected a cluster of irregular trades linked to events expected to feature certain political language.

Earlier reports indicated the deals deviated from normal market patterns and prompted multiple concerns from platform traders through whistleblower channels.

Upon audit, the firm identified the offender as a federal employee functioning as a White House teleprompter operator.

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President Donald Trump addresses supporters at a campaign rally supporting Senator Darline Graham in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, August 21, 2026. (REUTERS/Evan Vucci / Reuters Photos)

Kalshi had frozen the trader’s account before attempting withdrawal of most earnings, with subsequent referral to federal authorities.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed Perez during a briefing in July, noting the President was made aware of the issue.

“I am fully aware of the report, and the president has been briefed on it. I discussed it with him,” Leavitt added. “He considers it deeply unfortunate—if not a disgrace.”

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Fox News Digital sought input from the White House regarding Perez’s current status, though preliminary assessment indicates disciplinary measures have been applied.

Contributor: Stephen Sorace (Fox News Digital).

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