Gabriel Perez Accused of Wager Misuse After Generating Over $100,000 Trading on Presidential Speech Contracts
White House teleprompter operator Gabriel Perez has been accused of making over $100,000 by placing bets on U.S. President Trump’s speeches using the prediction market platform Kalshi.
Perez, who has worked at the White House since 2016, has been placed on unpaid administrative leave following an investigation into suspicious betting patterns. Authorities believe Perez improperly utilized prior knowledge of exact speech topics and specific wording to trade on Kalshi’s mention markets.
Investigation Details and Regulatory Response
The investigation was initiated after Kalshi detected and flagged abnormal trading patterns on speech-related prediction contracts. The platform subsequently notified the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), which is currently reviewing whether Perez’s actions constituted an illegal misuse of non-public information.
Bobby DeNault, Head of Enforcement at Kalshi, commented on the platform’s response:
“Our surveillance team promptly flagged and referred these trades to the CFTC, and we are cooperating and assisting regulators.”
As part of its compliance procedures, Kalshi confirmed that it successfully froze Perez’s account, ensuring that he remains unable to withdraw any of the generated winnings.
White House Response and Targeted Speeches
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the matter publicly, revealing that President Trump ordered Perez to be placed on unpaid leave immediately and condemned the actions as a “disgrace.”
According to findings released by the CFTC, the questioned trades involved contracts tied to specific high-profile presidential addresses:
- December 2025: A presidential primetime address.
- January 2026: A speech delivered at the World Economic Forum.
- March 2026: Remarks made during the Medal of Honor ceremony.
