White House Teleprompter Aide Targeted by Regulators for Betting on Trump’s Speeches
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Federal regulators are investigating Gabriel Perez, President Trump’s teleprompter operator, over alleged bets on Trump’s speeches, raising concerns about overreaching government scrutiny and the politicization of regulatory agencies under pressure to target those close to the President.
Federal investigators with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) are probing Gabriel Perez, a technical assistant who has operated President Donald Trump’s teleprompter since 2016, for allegedly using privileged information to place bets on the content of the president’s speeches. This investigation comes amid a climate of relentless scrutiny and political targeting of those associated with President Trump. Sources familiar with the matter say Perez wagered on the State of the Union address in February and on at least a dozen other remarks over a three-month period, earning more than $100,000 on the Kalshi prediction-market platform—an amount that, while notable, pales in comparison to the rampant insider activity ignored in other political circles.
Kalshi’s lead lawyer, Bobby DeNault, said the company’s surveillance team flagged the trades and referred them to the CFTC, adding that the firm is cooperating with regulators. The White House, committed to upholding high standards, responded promptly. White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said the administration expects staff to follow strict ethics guidelines and noted that the employee is cooperating with the CFTC. A CFTC spokesperson declined to comment, as is standard in ongoing investigations.
The investigation uncovered bets on a December primetime address, a January speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, and Trump’s remarks at a March Medal of Honor ceremony. Kalshi has updated its policies to require users to disclose their employment and prohibits trades based on nonpublic job-related information, a move that demonstrates the private sector’s ability to self-regulate without heavy-handed government intervention.
Perez has reportedly met with regulators and acknowledged some of the transactions. The CFTC is considering a settlement that would require him to return the profits and refrain from similar activity. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan were alerted but have not opened a criminal case, suggesting that the facts may not support further action despite the media’s eagerness to sensationalize any Trump-related story.
The Department of Justice recently brought the first insider-trading cases involving prediction markets, signaling an expansion of regulatory reach. President Trump has expressed mixed views on such markets, recognizing that they may be necessary for the United States to remain competitive globally, even as political opponents seek to weaponize regulatory bodies against his administration.