A veteran White House staffer has been suspended after he was accused of using advance notice of comments from the president to make lucrative bets on a prediction market.
Teleprompter Operator Accused of Making $100K From Trump Speech Bets
Gabriel Perez, who has been President Donald Trump’s teleprompter operator for years, is said to have made more than $100,000 betting on the contents of several speeches. People familiar with the probe said federal regulators began investigating his activity after unusual betting patterns were identified on the platform Kalshi, which allows users to bet on whether particular words or topics will appear in public statements, as reported by ABC News.
The company disclosed it found “irregular trades” within its “Mentions” category and had reached out to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Its enforcement team said the activity raised concerns about the misuse of privileged information and said it had cooperated fully with authorities once the issue was brought to light.
Perez, a technical assistant who had direct access to the draft remarks, was placed on unpaid leave. White House officials have stressed that staff is prohibited under internal rules from using nonpublic information for personal gain. The president was informed of the matter, found the situation unacceptable, and took immediate administrative action.
Trump Speech Bets Spanned Months
Investigators believe the bets spread over several months and included more than a dozen speeches, including high-profile events like a State of the Union address and international appearances. Sources say that in some cases, bets were changed while speeches were still in progress, especially if the president strayed from the prepared text.
Reports say Perez had early access to drafts of speeches and last-minute revisions, putting him in a position to anticipate likely phrasing. The president is known for going off script, but officials believe there is still enough predictability in him to make the bets worth it.
The report said the staffer has confessed to some elements of the activity in talks with regulators. The case has been sent to federal prosecutors, but no criminal charges have been filed. Instead, regulators are said to be weighing a settlement in which Perez would have to forfeit any profits and agree to limits on future trading.
In response to the controversy, Kalshi has strengthened its policies, including new disclosure requirements around employment.