President Donald Trump's teleprompter operator, Gabriel Perez, has been placed on unpaid administrative leave after federal investigators say he used privileged knowledge of the president's remarks to place bets on Kalshi’s prediction‑market “Mentions” platform, earning more than $100,000. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) flagged the activity and alerted regulators, prompting an inquiry that uncovered bets on at least a dozen speeches over a three‑month span, including the State of the Union, a World Economic Forum address, and a Medal of Honor ceremony.
Sources familiar with the probe say Perez, who has managed Trump’s teleprompter since 2016, discussed the trades with CFTC officials and may settle by surrendering his profits and agreeing not to trade again. Kalshi has since tightened its policies, requiring users to disclose employment and prohibiting insider‑derived wagers. The White House emphasized its ethics rules, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt noting the president called the conduct a “disgrace.”
The case arrives as the Justice Department recently brought its first insider‑trading prosecutions involving prediction markets, and it underscores growing scrutiny of non‑public information used for financial gain. Trump has previously expressed ambivalence toward such markets, saying the U.S. could be “left out in the cold” if they are restricted.
