Key facts
- Gabriel Perez, a White House teleprompter operator, is no longer employed by the federal government.
A White House teleprompter operator, Gabriel Perez, has left his federal government position after reports surfaced that he used inside knowledge to bet on President Donald Trump's speeches. The White House confirmed his departure, stating he "no longer works in the federal government."
The departure of the teleprompter operator highlights concerns about insider trading on prediction markets and the potential for misuse of privileged information within government roles.
A White House teleprompter operator, Gabriel Perez, is no longer employed by the federal government, according to a White House official. Perez had been placed on unpaid leave earlier this month after news reports indicated he used inside knowledge to win over $100,000 by betting on specific phrases President Donald Trump would use in major speeches, including the State of the Union address.
The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, called the reports of insider trading "deeply unfortunate and, frankly, a disgrace." Robert Denault, Kalshi's lawyer and head of enforcement, stated on X that the platform's surveillance team had flagged and referred these trades to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which oversees such markets. Kalshi has since implemented a policy requiring users to disclose their place of employment and prohibits betting based on job-related information.