White House teleprompter operator made over $100,000 betting on Trump speeches using inside knowledge

Published Jul 16, 04:53 PM UTC

Gabriel Perez, a White House teleprompter operator who has worked for President Trump since 2016, allegedly made over $100,000 by betting on Trump's speeches using inside knowledge. Perez placed bets on Kalshi's 'Mentions' market, which allows wagers on whether specific words or phrases appear in public speeches. The prediction market flagged the suspicious activity to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Investigators found Perez would change his bets mid-speech after Trump skipped certain words. Perez acknowledged the trades and is cooperating with investigators. The CFTC is reportedly willing to settle, allowing Perez to return profits and refrain from future betting. Federal prosecutors in New York declined to pursue criminal charges. The White House had warned staffers in March against betting on prediction markets.