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Trump teleprompter aide exits White House after Kalshi betting probe

Trump teleprompter aide exits White House after Kalshi betting probe

Gabriel Perez is no longer employed by the federal government after allegations he used advance knowledge of Trump speeches to profit on Kalshi’s “Mentions” markets, with the platform referring the trades to the CFTC.

Fact Check
Every element of the claim is confirmed by authoritative reporting. The ABC News investigation states Gabriel Perez won more than $100,000 betting on Trump's speeches via Kalshi's 'Mentions' market and that the CFTC investigated and referred the case to federal prosecutors. The Hill and AOL/Independent confirm Perez is no longer in the federal government and reached/entered settlement talks with the CFTC. NBC News independently corroborates the leave and CFTC involvement. The claim's phrasing about 'ABC News reporting more than $100,000 in profits and the trades referred to the CFTC' precisely matches the ABC News source.
Summary

Gabriel Perez, President Donald Trump’s longtime teleprompter operator, is no longer working for the federal government after allegations that he used advance knowledge of Trump speech content to place profitable bets on Kalshi. He had been placed on unpaid leave earlier in July, and a White House official confirmed his departure to the Associated Press without saying whether he resigned or was fired. The allegations center on claims that Perez made more than $100,000 by trading Kalshi contracts tied to words or topics Trump would mention in public remarks, including the State of the Union address in February. Kalshi said its surveillance team flagged the trades, investigated them and referred the matter to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Reuters reported that the platform froze the account before more than $90,000 in profits could be withdrawn. The case adds to scrutiny of prediction markets, particularly contracts vulnerable to insider trading when participants may have access to nonpublic information. Kalshi bars users from trading on material nonpublic information gained through their jobs and has recently tightened onboarding by collecting employment details for markets seen as especially exposed to that risk. The CFTC has not announced charges or a settlement, and Perez has not been publicly found to have violated the law.

Terms & Concepts
  • Kalshi’s “Mentions” markets: Contracts that let users trade on whether a public figure will use a specific word or phrase.
  • Commodity Futures Trading Commission: The U.S. regulator that oversees derivatives markets and related enforcement matters.
  • prediction markets: Platforms where traders buy or sell contracts linked to the outcome of future events.