Trump Aide Gabriel Perez Faces CFTC Probe Over $90,000 Kalshi Speech Bets
Updated
Updated · CNN · Jul 16
Trump Aide Gabriel Perez Faces CFTC Probe Over $90,000 Kalshi Speech Bets
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Jul 16
Summary
$90,000 in alleged profits from Kalshi “mention markets” triggered a CFTC insider-trading investigation into White House teleprompter operator Gabriel Perez, with the gains now frozen.
Kalshi flagged Perez’s trades because he was among the last aides to see Trump’s speeches and worked closely on last-minute edits, giving him potential access to nonpublic wording before public events.
The White House put Perez on unpaid administrative leave after Trump was briefed, and another operator will handle Thursday night’s address on election integrity.
The case appears to be the first known allegation of a White House employee exploiting prediction markets, despite a March 24 staff memo warning that misuse of nonpublic information for financial gain would not be tolerated.
The probe also tests the Trump-backed expansion of prediction markets, as CFTC Chair Mike Selig has vowed to police insider trading even when it involves White House personnel.