Former White House Teleprompter Operator Gabriel Perez Settles Insider Trading Case with CFTC

Gabriel Perez, a former teleprompter operator for the White House, has reached a settlement with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) concerning his alleged misuse of non-public information for financial gain on the prediction market platform Kalshi. The settlement, announced on Friday, mandates that Perez surrender over $100,000 in profits he accrued and pay a civil penalty of $65,000. Furthermore, the agreement imposes a three-year ban on Perez participating in any trading activities regulated by the CFTC.

The CFTC's investigation revealed that Perez leveraged his privileged access to presidential speeches, specifically those of President Donald Trump, to make informed bets on the prediction market. Kalshi, a platform where users can trade contracts based on the likelihood of future events, became the venue for these alleged illicit trades. Between December 2025 and February 2026, Perez reportedly profited $107,500 by accurately predicting specific words and phrases that would appear in President Trump's speeches. The commission's findings state that Perez "misappropriated that information — in breach of his duty of trust and confidence" by using his access to speeches prior to their public delivery.

This situation led to Perez being placed on unpaid leave from his White House position shortly after reports of his activities surfaced in July. While a White House official confirmed in July that Perez was no longer employed in his role, the exact circumstances of his departure—whether he resigned or was terminated—remained undisclosed. The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, addressed the emerging details on July 16, characterizing the situation as "unfortunate" and "a disgrace."

The CFTC ordered Perez to repay his full profits, amounting to $107,500. The $65,000 civil penalty, while substantial, was reduced by the commission in recognition of Perez's "exemplary cooperation" throughout the investigation. This settlement underscores the regulatory body's commitment to policing the misuse of non-public information, even within emerging and novel trading environments like prediction markets. It serves as a stark reminder of the ethical obligations and legal repercussions associated with sensitive government positions and the importance of maintaining public trust.