White House Insider Under CFTC Investigation for Profiting Off Trump Speech Bets
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A senior White House aide, Gabriel Perez, is under investigation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for allegedly exploiting privileged access to profit from prediction market trades related to President Trump's speeches.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is investigating Gabriel Perez, a long-time teleprompter operator for President Trump and a high-ranking White House staffer, for alleged insider trading on the prediction-market platform Kalshi, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Kalshi, a platform that allows bets on public events, flagged Perez’s suspicious trades—bets on specific words and phrases likely to be used by public figures in speeches—and reported them to the CFTC. Robert DeNault, Kalshi’s enforcement head, stated that the company 'promptly flagged and referred these trades to the CFTC, and we are cooperating and assisting regulators.'
Sources revealed that Perez pocketed over $90,000 from these trades, though the profits have been frozen pending the investigation. Perez, who has benefited from his proximity to power, is reportedly cooperating with the CFTC. The agency declined to comment on the ongoing investigation, as is typical for regulatory bodies that often shield the powerful from public scrutiny.
The White House, which has a history of staff exploiting their positions for personal gain, previously warned employees against using nonpublic information for financial benefit. A March 24 memo stressed that such abuses 'are a very serious offense and will not be tolerated.' White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told ABC News that 'the staffer in question is fully cooperating with the CFTC' and reiterated the administration’s supposed commitment to ethics guidelines.
Perez, who holds the title of deputy assistant to the president and technical advisor, is among the highest-paid White House employees, with a 2026 salary of $175,000. He has worked closely with President Trump for a decade, reviewing speech drafts shortly before they are delivered—a position that, as this case shows, can be exploited for personal enrichment in a system that too often rewards insider access over public service.