Trump Teleprompter Operator Probed by CFTC for Alleged Insider Trading

A longtime teleprompter operator for U.S. President Donald Trump is under investigation by federal regulators for potential insider trading on the prediction market platform Kalshi. The probe, conducted by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), centers on allegations that the staffer used non-public information about the content of speeches to place wagers, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

The Allegations and Response

The investigation focuses on Gabriel Perez, who sources say is fully cooperating with the CFTC. The suspicious trading activity was first identified by Kalshi's own surveillance team, which then referred the matter to the regulator. The platform's internal review reportedly found that Perez's account had unrealized profits of over $90,000 before the account was frozen.

"Our surveillance team promptly flagged and referred these trades to the CFTC after an exchange investigation," Robert DeNault, head of enforcement at Kalshi, told Reuters. "We have been assisting regulators on this matter and provided evidence we collected, as we do in any referral."

In response to the news, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the President was aware of the situation. She stated that Perez was placed on unpaid leave and will no longer be working at the White House. A spokesperson for the CFTC said the agency could neither confirm nor deny an investigation.

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Regulatory Scrutiny of Prediction Markets

The case highlights the growing regulatory concerns surrounding prediction markets, which allow users to trade contracts on the outcome of future events. Kalshi offers so-called "mention markets," where traders can bet on whether a specific word or phrase will be used during public events like speeches or corporate earnings calls.

Regulators have previously expressed concern that such markets could be vulnerable to manipulation or insider trading by individuals with privileged access to information, such as speech transcripts. To address these risks, Kalshi announced in June it would require employment disclosures for users trading on sensitive contracts and launch a whistleblower portal to bolster market integrity.