CFTC fines Trump teleprompter operator $172,000 over speech bets
Gabriel Perez, who ran President Donald Trump’s teleprompter for nearly a decade, has agreed to hand over more than $172,000 to settle Commodity Futures Trading Commission charges that he bet on Trump’s own speeches using words he read ahead of anyone else.
Prediction markets have rapidly gained popularity in 2026 and this settlement is the first known case of a White House insider caught trading on the platform. Regulators have also issued warnings to government staff that their access to nonpublic information is not a betting edge.
Who placed bets on President Trump’s words?
Gabriel Perez, President Trump’s longtime teleprompter, has been charged with placing bets on Kalshi’s “mention markets” where traders can guess whether a public figure will utter a specific word or phrase during an event.
Perez had an unfair advantage because he was often the last aide to see Trump’s remarks before delivery. The CFTC found he traded on that confidential text for “his own personal, financial benefit.”
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