Key facts
- White House teleprompter operator Gabriel Perez is on unpaid leave.
- Perez is under investigation by the CFTC for alleged insider trading on the Kalshi prediction market.
- Perez reportedly used inside knowledge of President Donald Trump's speeches to win over $100,000.
- Kalshi froze more than $90,000 of Perez's profits and referred the case to regulators.
- Federal prosecutors have declined to pursue a criminal investigation.
President Donald Trump's teleprompter operator, Gabriel Perez, has been placed on unpaid administrative leave following allegations of insider trading on the Kalshi prediction market. Perez, who has operated Trump's teleprompter since 2016, is reportedly under investigation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) for allegedly using non-public information about Trump's speeches to make profitable bets.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Perez is on unpaid leave, describing the situation as "unfortunate" and "a disgrace." Kalshi's head of enforcement, Robert Denault, stated the platform flagged, investigated, and referred the trades to the CFTC. Reports suggest Perez won over $100,000 by betting on the content of Trump's speeches, including the State of the Union address. Kalshi froze more than $90,000 of his profits and referred the matter to regulators, though federal prosecutors have declined to open a criminal investigation.
The platform recently began requiring users to disclose their employment, and its policy prohibits betting based on job-related information. The incident highlights scrutiny over administration members profiting from the presidency.