Settlement Details
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced on Friday that Gabriel Perez, a former White House teleprompter operator, must pay over $172,000. This includes surrendering $107,539.02 in profits and a $65,000 civil penalty. The CFTC also imposed a three-year trading ban on Perez, who used his access to President Trump's speeches to place bets on Kalshi, a prediction market platform.[S1][S4]
Perez traded presidential 'mention market' contracts between December 2025 and February 2026, predicting words and phrases Trump would use. The CFTC stated that Perez misappropriated nonpublic information, breaching his duty of trust and confidence. His penalty was reduced due to his 'exemplary cooperation' with the investigation.[S1][S3][S4]
Background and Reaction
Perez had been with Trump's team since 2016, handling technical and teleprompter duties across both terms. By January 2025, he was serving as a technical adviser in the White House Office. He was put on unpaid leave in July and never came back. The White House has stayed silent on the settlement.[S3][S5]
Kalshi's top attorney, Bobby DeNault, praised the outcome on X, noting that breaking rules or federal law carries consequences. Kalshi spotted irregular betting activity in March and froze Perez's account, holding over $90,000 in gains, then passed the case to the CFTC.[S1][S5]
