President Donald Trump’s longtime teleprompter operator, Gabriel Perez, has been placed on unpaid administrative leave following allegations that he used advance knowledge of the president’s speeches to profit from bets on the prediction market Kalshi. Federal regulators are currently investigating whether Perez leveraged his access to prepared speech texts to place wagers on "mention markets," where users bet on specific words or phrases a public figure might say during an event. The investigation centers on whether this activity constitutes a form of insider trading within the rapidly growing prediction market sector.
Kalshi’s internal surveillance systems reportedly flagged unusual trading patterns linked to Perez’s account earlier this year. After an internal review, the company froze the account, which held approximately $90,000 in profits, and referred the case to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). While the CFTC has not officially confirmed the existence of an investigation, sources indicate that Perez is cooperating with federal regulators and is currently in settlement talks.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the suspension on Thursday, stating that the president views the alleged conduct as a disgrace. Perez, who has worked with the president since 2016, was responsible for managing the teleprompter equipment during public appearances. His access to speech drafts provided him with information that was not yet public, creating a significant conflict of interest regarding the prediction markets.
This incident marks the first time a White House staffer has been investigated for allegedly abusing internal access to profit from prediction markets. As these platforms continue to gain popularity for wagering on political and economic outcomes, the case highlights the growing regulatory challenges surrounding the use of non-public information in digital betting environments. The future of Perez’s employment and the potential legal consequences of the investigation remain uncertain as the review continues.