Former White House teleprompter operator ordered to forfeit profits and pay fine in Kalshi betting settlement
Quick Look
- Gabriel Perez, a former White House teleprompter operator, was ordered by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to surrender over $100,000 in profits and pay a $65,000 fine for using insider information to bet on presidential mention markets on Kalshi between December 2025 and February 2026.
- He also received a three-year trading ban as part of the settlement.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Gabriel Perez worked as a teleprompter operator at the White House and allegedly used his access to non-public information about presidential speeches to trade on Kalshi's 'mention market' contracts, which pay out based on whether a president uses specific words or phrases.
A former White House teleprompter operator accused of using inside knowledge to make bets on the prediction market Kalshi has been ordered to turn over more than US$100,000 in profits and pay a US$65,000 fine as part of a settlement with federal authorities.
The settlement with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, announced on Friday, also dealt Gabriel Perez a three-year trading ban.
The White House did not immediately comment on the settlement. A White House official said in July that Perez was no longer in his position but did not say if he had been fired or resigned.
The commission said Perez traded presidential “mention market” contracts on Kalshi between December 2025 and February 2026 while working at the White House. The event contracts pay out based on whether a president uses specific words or phrases in speeches.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The CFTC will pursue additional insider trading cases involving government employees and prediction markets.
Likely · Within months
Open Questions
- Was Gabriel Perez fired or did he resign from the White House?
- Did the White House take any internal disciplinary action?
- Are there ongoing investigations into other potential insider trading cases involving government employees?
