White House teleprompter operator Gabriel Perez suspended over insider‑trading allegations
Gabriel Perez, the longtime teleprompter operator for President Donald Trump, was placed on unpaid administrative leave and dismissed from the White House after federal regulators linked him to insider‑trading activity on the prediction‑market platform Kalshi. Investigators say Perez used confidential knowledge of upcoming speeches to bet on “mention” markets that predict which words or topics Trump would use, earning more than $100,000; Kalshi froze about $90,000 of the proceeds and referred the trades to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters the president finds the conduct “deeply unfortunate and, frankly, a disgrace.” Kalshi’s head of enforcement, Robert DeNault, said, “Our surveillance team promptly flagged and referred these trades to the CFTC, and we are cooperating and assisting regulators.” Perez, who has worked for Trump since the 2016 campaign and draws a $175,000 salary, is the first known White House staffer suspected of insider trading in prediction markets. He is cooperating with the CFTC, which is considering a settlement that could require the return of profits and a ban on future trades.