Ex-White House Teleprompter Operator Ordered to Pay $172,000 for Betting

Ex-White House Teleprompter Operator Ordered to Pay $172,000 for Betting on Trump Speeches

Gabriel Perez, a former White House teleprompter operator, was ordered to forfeit more than $100,000 in profits and pay a $65,000 civil penalty after placing bets on US President Donald Trump’s speech content between December 2025 and February 2026 on prediction platform Kalshi, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced.

The CFTC found Perez misappropriated his insider knowledge of upcoming remarks while operating White House teleprompters, breaching his duty of trust and confidence. In addition to the financial sanctions, Perez received a three-year trading ban.

Kalshi analysts had detected unusual activity in “mention markets”—contracts predicting whether speakers will use particular words or phrases—and traced the account to a federal employee working on White House teleprompters. The platform reported the activity to regulators in March.

The CFTC said the civil penalty was reduced because of Perez’s cooperation with the investigation. The White House had not commented; in July, then-press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated Perez was on unpaid leave and would not return to his post.

Liberal News Analysis: What Does This Development Mean?

The CFTC concluded Perez used nonpublic knowledge of presidential remarks to place bets on Kalshi between December 2025 and February 2026. Kalshi’s review of account data and unusual betting patterns prompted a report to regulators in March, leading to the settlement requiring forfeiture of profits, a civil penalty, and a trading ban.

Quick Glance: What You Need to Know

• Gabriel Perez placed bets on Kalshi about words President Donald Trump would use in speeches between December 2025 and February 2026.
• The CFTC ordered forfeiture of over $100,000 in profits and a $65,000 civil penalty, and imposed a three-year trading ban.
• Kalshi flagged unusual betting in “mention markets,” identified the user as a White House teleprompter operator, and reported the activity to regulators.