White House places Trump teleprompter operator on unpaid leave over alleged speech betting
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The White House said the president’s teleprompter operator is on unpaid leave after reports he used privileged information to place bets on the president’s remarks on the Kalshi prediction market.
President Donald Trump’s teleprompter operator has been placed on unpaid leave following allegations that he used inside knowledge of the president’s speeches to place bets on the online prediction platform Kalshi, the White House said Thursday. Kalshi’s enforcement chief said the firm reported the trades to federal regulators, and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has been notified.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the situation as “unfortunate” and “a disgrace,” adding that the administration has strict ethical guidelines for such matters. Gabriel Perez, who has operated Trump’s teleprompter since 2016, is alleged to have earned more than $100,000 by betting on the wording of speeches, including the State of the Union address, according to ABC News.
Kalshi’s head of enforcement, Robert Denault, said the company’s surveillance team flagged the activity, investigated it, and referred the evidence to regulators, noting that the platform now requires users to disclose their employer and prohibits betting on information obtained through employment.
The report comes amid broader scrutiny of Trump’s financial activities, including disclosures of substantial earnings from cryptocurrency ventures and merchandising, which the administration says comply with conflict-of-interest laws.