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Gabriel Perez, a former White House teleprompter operator, has reached a settlement with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission that requires him to surrender profits exceeding $107,500 and pay a $65,000 civil penalty. The agreement, announced Friday, stems from allegations that Perez exploited confidential information about presidential speeches to place bets on the prediction market Kalshi between December 2025 and February 2026.
Federal regulators determined that Perez abused his position by accessing speeches before their delivery and using that knowledge to wager on specific words and phrases Trump would use. According to the commission’s statement, his actions constituted a breach of the trust and confidence placed in him by his employer. The settlement also imposes a three-year ban on trading activities as part of the resolution.
The White House placed Perez on unpaid leave following initial reports of the scheme in July, though officials declined to specify whether he was subsequently fired or resigned. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt characterized the situation as “unfortunate” and “a disgrace” when details became public. The commission indicated that the $65,000 penalty reflected a reduction from a higher amount based on Perez’s substantial cooperation throughout the investigation.
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