US President Donald Trump’s longtime teleprompter operator, Gabriel Perez, is under investigation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) over allegations of potential insider trading linked to prediction market platform Kalshi. The investigation began after Kalshi’s internal monitoring systems detected suspicious trading activity and referred the matter to federal regulators.
According to sources familiar with the case, Kalshi identified unusual betting patterns through its customer verification and market surveillance procedures. The company immediately reported the findings to the CFTC and has since cooperated by providing all relevant evidence collected during its internal review.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Perez has been placed on unpaid leave and later announced that he will no longer work at the White House. She also stated that, to her knowledge, no other White House or administration staff members are being investigated for using confidential information to place bets on prediction markets.
Reports indicate that Perez is fully cooperating with investigators. Kalshi reportedly froze his account before more than $90,000 in profits could be withdrawn while the investigation continues.
The case has renewed concerns about prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket, which allow users to trade contracts based on the outcomes of future events, including elections, sports, economic data, and even words spoken during public speeches. Some of Kalshi’s “mention markets” enable traders to bet on whether specific words or phrases will appear in speeches or corporate announcements, creating concerns that individuals with advance access to prepared remarks could gain an unfair advantage.
Federal regulators have increased their scrutiny of these platforms in recent months following several high profile investigations involving alleged insider trading. In response, Kalshi has introduced stricter compliance measures, including employment disclosure requirements for traders participating in sensitive markets and a whistleblower reporting system designed to strengthen market integrity.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not announced any formal charges against Gabriel Perez.
