Former White House Teleprompter Operator Fined for Betting on Trump's Speeches

A former White House teleprompter operator, Gabriel Perez, has been ordered to pay over $172,000 for using insider information to place bets on U.S. President Donald Trump's speeches. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) found that Perez made trades based on what the president would say during addresses from December 2025 to February 2026 on Kalshi, a prediction markets platform. The CFTC stated that Perez must surrender profits of $107,539.02 and pay a civil penalty of $65,000. The penalty was reduced due to his cooperation with the investigation. Perez has been banned from trading for three years. Kalshi's lead lawyer, Bobby DeNault, commented on the decision, emphasizing that violations of rules or federal law will lead to consequences. The company had previously reported unusual betting patterns to the CFTC, leading to the investigation. In July, the White House Management Office issued a letter advising aides against betting on prediction markets.