White House teleprompter aide under investigation for betting on President Trump's speeches

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. 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.

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. 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.

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.

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.

The Department of Justice recently brought the first insider-trading cases involving prediction markets, highlighting the regulatory focus on the issue. President Trump has expressed mixed views on such markets, saying they may be necessary for the United States to remain competitive.