Context:

A White House teleprompter operator is under investigation for allegedly leveraging inside knowledge to place bets on Trump’s speeches via Kalshi, producing nearly $100,000 in speculative gains. Kalshi flagged unusual “mention market” bets tied to anticipated words and contracts, froze more than $90,000 of the funds, and reported the activity to the CFTC. The operator, a federal employee since 2016, was placed on unpaid leave as authorities review the case, with Kalshi’s enforcement lead stating regulators were provided with evidence. While there is cooperation with investigators, no criminal charges have been filed in Manhattan, and the probe status remains undisclosed by the CFTC. The incident raises questions about the ethics and oversight of people close to high-stakes political communications.

Dive Deeper:

• Gabriel Perez, a White House teleprompter operator employed since 2016, is accused of using inside information to place bets on Trump’s speeches, totaling nearly $100,000 in potential gains.

• The bets were placed on Kalshi, a prediction markets platform that allows users to bet on real-world events, including whether a speaker will use specific words or phrases during major addresses such as the State of the Union.

• Kalshi alerted to unusual activity in 'mention markets'—contracts predicting whether a speaker will reference common terms—prompting internal review in March and leading to the freezing of over $90,000 before profits could be withdrawn.

• The firm reported the activity to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); Kalshi’s head of enforcement indicated evidence was handed to regulators and that Perez was identified as a federal employee operating teleprompters.

• Perez was placed on unpaid leave, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed he would no longer work at the White House, stating Trump was aware of the situation.

• ABC News first reported the story, with CBS News corroborating; sources said Perez has cooperated with the CFTC, while Manhattan prosecutors reportedly declined to pursue criminal charges, and the CFTC would not confirm or deny a probe.