An article summarized by ABC News:
President Trump's longtime teleprompter operator, Gabriel Perez, is under investigation for allegedly using insider knowledge to profit from prediction market bets on Trump's speeches. Federal regulators believe Perez earned more than $100,000 by placing wagers on Kalshi's "Mentions" market, where users bet on whether specific words or topics will appear in public speeches. Kalshi flagged the suspicious activity and reported it to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Following the investigation, the White House placed Perez on unpaid administrative leave, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt saying President Trump personally approved the decision and called the allegations a "disgrace." Investigators say Perez placed bets on more than a dozen Trump speeches over a three-month period and, in some cases, adjusted his bets during speeches when Trump departed from prepared remarks. Perez has reportedly admitted to some of the trades during interviews with regulators.
Federal prosecutors declined to pursue criminal charges, but the CFTC is reportedly negotiating a civil settlement that would require Perez to return his profits and refrain from similar trading in the future. The case comes as prediction markets face increased scrutiny over insider trading, with Kalshi strengthening its policies and the Justice Department recently bringing its first insider trading cases involving prediction market platforms.
