A former White House teleprompter operator has been ordered to pay $172,000 for using inside information to bet on US President Donald Trump's speeches. Gabriel Perez was found to have made trades on what the president would say during addresses between December 2025 and February 2026 on Kalshi - a prediction markets platform where users can bet on real-world events.

The staffer misappropriated his prior knowledge of Trump's speeches to place bets in breach of his duty of trust and confidence. The regulator, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), said Perez would have to surrender profits of $107,539.02 and pay a civil penalty of $65,000.

How It Happened

The White House has not yet commented on the matter. In July, then-press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Perez was on unpaid leave and would not return to his post.

Perez has also been banned from trading for three years. The CFTC announced the settlement on Friday and cited his 'exemplary co-operation' with the investigation as a factor in reducing the civil penalty.

Kalshi's lead lawyer Bob" had used account data to identify Perez as a federal employee operating White House teleprompters, and reported the activity to the regulator. The company stated that 'the words of political leaders like Presidents and Fed chairs cause billions of dollars of movement in FX markets, oil futures, [and] the stock market,'

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White House Response

The staffer was found to have made tens of thousands of dollars through betting on what the president would say in his speeches

A former White House teleprompter operator has been ordered to pay more than $172,000 (£127,000) for using inside information to bet on US President Donald Trump's speeches.

Gabriel Perez was found to have made trades on what the president would say during addresses between December 2025 and February 2026 on Kalshi - a prediction markets platform where users can bet on real-world events.

Its regulator, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), said Perez would have to surrender profits of $107,539.02 (£79,452) and pay a civil penalty of $65,000 (£48,000).

The White House has not yet commented. In July, then-press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Perez was on unpaid leave and would not return to his post.