A longtime White House teleprompter operator has been placed on unpaid leave after federal investigators alleged he used privileged access to President Donald Trump’s prepared speeches to profit from prediction market wagers tied to the president’s public remarks.
Gabriel Perez, who has operated Trump’s teleprompter since 2016, is under investigation by the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) over trades placed on Kalshi’s “mention markets.” These markets allow users to wager on whether specific words or phrases will appear in speeches and public appearances. Authorities believe Perez earned more than $100,000 through bets placed before multiple presidential speeches, allegedly benefiting from advance knowledge of their contents.
According to reports, Kalshi’s internal surveillance systems detected unusual trading activity that did not match normal market behavior, prompting the company to freeze the account and notify regulators. The prediction market operator has since said it is cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Perez was placed on unpaid administrative leave and will no longer work at the White House while the matter is addressed. Reports also indicate he is in discussions with federal regulators regarding a potential settlement.
The investigation has intensified scrutiny of insider information risks in event-based prediction markets, particularly those centered on political events. Unlike traditional financial markets, these contracts can be influenced by access to non-public information, creating concerns over market integrity when participants possess privileged knowledge.
In response to the case, Kalshi announced additional compliance measures designed to strengthen oversight. The company said it will introduce employment disclosure requirements for certain traders and expand its reporting mechanisms, including a whistleblower portal, to help identify suspicious activity more quickly.
The probe comes as US regulators continue examining governance standards across prediction markets, which have grown rapidly in popularity by allowing users to trade contracts based on elections, economic data, sports and public statements. The outcome of the Perez investigation could influence future compliance expectations for platforms offering these increasingly popular event-based products.